


Adventure awaits!

by duckdistributor



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Fantasy AU, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, If not a bit morally gray, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Monsters, Slow Burn, everyone is sympathetic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 85,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23514805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duckdistributor/pseuds/duckdistributor
Summary: A traveling bard, a researcher, a healer and a former thief end up traveling together after an unusual monster attack at a tavern. The world is starting to behave strangely, and threats to the artefact, The Mindsphere that keeps the world together, are lurking in the shadows.Sanders Sides Fantasy AU
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders
Comments: 43
Kudos: 96





	1. You meet in a tavern

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for clicking on this fic! I hope you'll find something you enjoy in it! 
> 
> Tw: Monster, monster death, somewhat harmless monster bite, implied alcohol but no one gets drunk. Please tell me if there is something specific you'd like me to warn about. Stay safe, okay? ^^

The Bottomless Mug was a considerably populated tavern, in an otherwise small town. A lot of different people passed through there and it was all in all, one of the most interesting places a traveling bard like Roman could visit on a regular basis. To be fair he wasn’t always much of a traveling bard. He was more of a go with the flow type of fellow, who would spend his time wherever he was able to rent a room. It all depended on what jobs were available for him, and in that moment, the Bottomless Mug was his best bet for getting paid for performing, while searching for a potential adventure.

Oh, how Roman loved adventure. He hoped that someone in that tavern would be his key to an amazing journey, which would lead him to the fame he had hoped to gain for so long. He was of course renowned to a certain extent, but it was not uncommon for people to dismiss even the most talented of bards. He did get kicked out of a tavern further west that one time, due to a rather excessive acting method, so that was at least an alternative reaction.

Either way, Roman just had to find the right place for his poems, stories and plays (he liked to work in multiple mediums) to be heard. People in the Bottomless Mug appeared to enjoy his works, but he had a feeling it still wasn’t getting to the right audience. Sure, they applauded his songs and showed the different emotions associated with his creations, but did they truly _feel_ them? Perhaps it did not matter, as long as he had the chance to create things.

It was the third night in a row, of Roman performing in the Bottomless Mug, when he was singing what could be considered an average song about heroics and adventure with his lute. It followed a bold and dashing prince who defeated a merciless dragon in his quest to rescue the love of his life. The dragon turned out to be his love all along, hidden behind the curse of scales and fire. The prince broke the curse, revealing a prince almost as dashing as he. It wasn’t Roman’s favourite, but people seemed to enjoy it, and that was a big part of any performance.

It was on that night however, that he noticed a man, standing in the corner, tilting his head to the side as he listened to the song. The man’s expression was nonchalant, almost confused. He wore a pair of black spectacles, a dark robe and carried some old books with him. His light beige skin was illuminated by the fireplace near the bar. He was standing out slightly, even among the many travellers. Roman caught himself staring in the direction of the man occasionally during the song, as well as the next one. He wasn’t entirely sure why. The man continued to stand in the corner through three songs, and sat down with a book, appearing unbothered by the songs that followed.

Roman didn’t truly know what he found interesting about this man. Perhaps it was something in his disinterested look or the way he seemed like a misplaced librarian. Regardless, once the songs were over, Roman went to the bar and purchased two drinks. Without hesitation, he approached the man who was leaning over his book as if the answers to all of life’s questions could be found in it.

“Excuse me?” Roman said, putting on a very polite and charismatic expression. The man didn’t appear to notice him at first. “Excuse me?” Roman repeated, slightly clearer.

The man looked up, his eyes narrowed and distant, with a hand placed on the page he was at in his book. “Yes?” he said, “What can I help you with?”

Roman dramatically placed one of the mugs next to the man’s book with a clack. “You look like you could use a drink sir.” Roman said. The man looked confused at the full wooden mug. “May I sit?” Roman asked, gesturing to the empty chair on the other side of the small table.

The man’s eyebrows moved down in a thoughtful expression, “Uh, thank you for the drink.” he said, without seeming particularly interested in it, “And nothing appears to be stopping you from sitting down, since the chair is empty.”

Roman let out a laugh at the way the man phrased it, but the man didn’t appear to have humour in mind. Roman sat down, taking a sip from his own mug, tasting the foam of the light beverage. He licked his lips once, leaning over the table slightly. The man was reading in his book again, without touching the mug. “What is your name traveller?” Roman asked.

“Logan Aldrich.” The man said, not looking up from his book. He raised an eyebrow “You?”

“Roman Princeton.” Roman said, “So, what do you do? Do you have a job?”

“I am presently out of one, but I look to apply once I get the possibility.” Logan says, glancing up, “I used to work as a researcher at the Crow’s Nest Academy further east.”

Roman nodded, not entirely interested, but willing to listen either way, “And why do you not work there anymore?”

Logan adjusted his spectacles, “I quit.” he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, “I got a bit tired of the research there. I felt as if we lacked imperative resources. And you?”

Roman tapped his fingers against the table, “I do a bit of everything, but my true passion is the arts!” he lifted one of his arms to highlight his words, “You saw my performance earlier, didn’t you?”

“I did.” Logan stated with a nod, “Does that earn you a stable income?”

Roman opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but closed it again. “Stable is a strong word but I get by.” he ended up saying. He paused. Maybe this was the right time to ask. “What did you think?”

Logan raised an eyebrow and looked at Roman, “Of what?”

“Of the performance!” Roman said. Something in his stomach was itching for Logan to give his opinion. Why had he looked like that? Was he bored? Was he analysing it? Roman awaited the response with anticipation.

“It was adequate.” Logan said, though Roman wasn’t sure how to take that.

“Are you certain?” Roman asked.

Logan adjusted his spectacles once again and looked down at a page in his book as if he wanted to continue reading more than anything else. “Well, there were parts of it that made no sense, which was rather distracting to me.” he said.

Roman felt confused and desperate, “Which parts?” he urged.

Logan grabbed a scrap of paper from a pocket in his robe and placed it neatly inside the book as he closed it. “For one.” he said, “While curses are unpredictable and broad, the seventh law, as researched by Werdigralion, would prevent the target from developing more power than it already has. That is unless other magical forces played a part, which your composition never implied literally or symbolically.” he started, “Not to mention the fact that more than one type of dragon exists and without details it wouldn’t be possible to calculate how exactly the curse would work. In the second one you simply gave a wolf the ability to speak without providing a reasonable explanation, magical or otherwise.”

Roman felt partially annoyed, “Well, wouldn’t that just be suspension of disbelief? Surely some mild inconsistencies don’t get in the way of a good story.”

Logan sighed, “Perhaps it is just me. I find it difficult to enjoy many types of art in general.” Roman could’ve sworn there was a hint of sadness in Logan’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by the same nonchalant expression, “While I would personally have appreciated some more details, I will admit that it was… mostly… lyrically strong.”

“What do you mean by _mostly._ ” Roman asked, truly curious, but seemingly frustrated.

“I do have one remark.” Logan said, tapping the cover of his closed book.

“What would that be?” Roman asked.

Logan seemed to be looking for the right words, “I appreciate the way you stick to certain couplet formulas through most of verses, but I think the narrative structure could benefit from breaking the formula to highlight the climax towards the end.” he paused, “It might even make it easier to do something creative with the melody if that is what you desire.”

Something in Roman’s stomach was instantly affected by the words. It wasn’t in a particularly negative way, nor in a particularly positive way. It was in a neutral, interesting and new way. “I… I’ll consider that.” he said, looking at his lute which had been standing against the wall near the stairs safely. He looked at Logan again, “Thank you… For the critique.”

Logan looked bewildered and moved his hand once through his hair, “Really? People usually dismiss my comments.” something in his eyes lit up in a sceptical way, however he managed that, “You know, it is entirely possible that I am simply not the right audience for it.”

Roman laughed, “Perhaps so, but getting comments from several sources is always helpful.”

Logan nodded, “That is true.” he placed his left hand on the mug, taking a sip for the first time since it was placed there. Roman couldn’t help but smile.

“Where are you headed anyway?” Roman asked, “Not to sound rude, but you don’t seem like you’re from here.”

“I am not.” Logan confirmed, “Actually, I am on my way to apply for a notable job opportunity.”

“And what might that be?” Roman asked, reasonably interested.

“Researcher. By the Castle Academy in the capital.” Logan replied, his eyes seeming distant, almost as if an incredible dream had suddenly entered his mind.

Roman chuckled, “You left your job as a researcher to become… A researcher?”

This time, Logan was the one who appeared frustrated. “It is different. The Castle Academy gets access to all the newest studies, even the more obscure ones.” he said, beaming in an unfamiliar way, “Not to mention that I might get a chance to see half of the Mindsphere. I have numerous theories I’d like to confirm regarding that.”

Ah yes, the legendary Mindsphere. Hidden away behind magical barriers in the castle of king Thomas, missing its other half. No one knew much about it, despite it having existed for as long as anyone could remember. Without it, the world might crumble, and with it, the world could fall into the wrong hands. Roman raised an eyebrow, “They only let the most esteemed researchers anywhere _near_ that.”

“As a researcher it is not at all impossible to become esteemed in my field as well.” Logan said.

Roman laughed, but it wasn’t in a mocking way. There was something respectful hidden behind it, which Roman didn’t even intend to hide, “You’re an ambitious one. I like that.”

Logan took another sip from the mug and licked his lips. The light from the fireplace lit up half the man’s face. “You seem to be too.” he said, but he didn’t state an opinion after that.

Roman glanced at his own sword, placed in his scabbard. It seemed strong and shiny as ever. It was a gift from his mother (Well, adoptive mother, but the only mother that had played any part in his life), and he considered something for a moment. Was this the opportunity he had been waiting for? “You know…” Roman said, placing a hand on the grip of his sword, “If you are planning on travelling all the way to the capital, you might need some assistance. That journey goes through some potentially dangerous territory.”

“Do you doubt my ability to protect myself?” Logan asked, though he didn’t sound very offended.

Roman looked the academic up and down. He kind of did, but it wasn’t impossible that the man had some surprises to offer, “Not necessarily, though an extra pair of hands isn’t a bad idea out there.”

Logan looked at the ceiling and then the wall, thoughtfully, “What are you proposing?”

“That I’ll go with you.” Roman said with a smile, “I am an eloquent bard and I consider myself an excellent sword fighter. You don’t even have to pay me; I only ask for lodging when possible.”

“Isn’t that merely indirect payment?” Logan asked.

“Specifics aside, I must admit that I am itching to get out in the open again. I’ve been in this town for a little while now, and I do miss a good quest.” Roman said, imagining all the possibilities out there. A researcher and a bard. They could endure many dangers and challenges together. He looked at Logan to get a good grasp of his reaction.

Logan was hard to read. He didn’t look directly at Roman, and his eyes fell upon the fireplace. As the light was reflected in the man’s eyes, Roman caught a hint of amusement in Logan’s expression. Logan made a ‘hm’ sound and leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms. “I think we would both benefit from sleeping on that.” he said, “Do you reside in this tavern, presently?”

Roman nodded, “I do.”

Logan pursed his lips, “You know, they really should call it an inn.” he looked Roman in the eyes, “I’ll be down here tomorrow at 7am if I am still interested in the offer. If you show up, I’ll assume you’re interested too. Does that sound like a decent deal?”

“That early?” Roman asked.

“I’d say it’s quite late, considering the journey ahead.” Logan said.

Roman sighed, but was all in all, pleased with the result of their conversation, “Alright. I guess I might see you tomorrow morning then.”

“I guess s- “

Logan was cut off by a deafening roar, as the entrance to the tavern was destroyed. A strange animal odour of fur and unwrought meat filled the air, as a huge creature, about as tall as the tavern, entered. It was round and dark green with two large legs, that looked like sticks on each side. From the front, three large mouths were visible, shaped like those of a crocodile, teeth and all. The creature had no eyes and merely crawled ahead like a bug, stepping on everything in its way. Chaotic screams filled the tavern.

* * *

Patton Corwinson walked down the road in town, the cold evening air causing him to tighten his blue cloak. He was on his way to purchase some healing herbs. While he was professionally hired as a healer in town, he had to buy most of the tools and materials himself. Funding was slim for tools since most wounds could be treated with spells, and since healing potions for the most common diseases could be mixed with materials most people had on hand anyway. It was part of the healer’s job however, to be prepared for the worst cases. On occasion, it was necessary to stock up on rarer herbs to treat deadly wounds. Some herbs could be used to ease pain for more physical operations or treatments.

“Are you coming, Virgil?” Patton asked. The man the sentence was directed at walked clumsily behind Patton. Virgil was covered from head to toe in dark purple and black leather, complete with a black fabric hood, which insistently covered all the man’s brown hair and a bit of his forehead. His hands and face showed his pale white skin tone, which was otherwise hidden underneath his clothes. He was nervous, and clearly not used to walking so openly on the road among the rest of the townsfolk.

He nodded, and half-ran to Patton’s side. “I can’t believe you dragged me out here.” he said. He sounded annoyed, but his annoyance didn’t seem to be directed at Patton as much as their surroundings.

“Oh, come on Virgil! It’s not that bad. You’d have to go out eventually.” Patton said. Truth be told, he was a bit worried, that something would happen to Virgil while they were out there. Virgil was cautious by nature, and he always stayed in the shadows when outside, unless no one else was around.

When Patton had found him, Virgil hid in the shadows even more. Stealing what he could get his hands on and disappearing to who knows where as soon as he had gotten something to eat. It was a rather sad sight, and Patton had started offering him food for free one day. Virgil’s expression had been sceptical, almost frightened. Poor boy. Who knew what he had been through? Patton hadn’t heard the full story, even in the two months Virgil had been staying with him, but he had gotten the gist of it. Virgil was left behind as a child, forced to grow up on his own. He had hardly been accepted by most people, due to reasons Patton were at least somewhat aware of, and had stayed in a hideout or wherever he could find lodging.

Patton wasn’t naïve enough to think, there wasn’t more to it than that but pushing Virgil to say anything was hardly the way to earn his trust. Virgil should be allowed to keep anything he wasn’t comfortable sharing yet to himself. Patton was determined to give Virgil a second chance in life. He wanted to care for him as much as he could and show him the simple pleasures, which Virgil had perhaps otherwise been denied.

The two men continued down the road. Virgil looked around anxiously and flinched the second someone looked back at him. Patton offered his hand, but Virgil didn’t accept it right away. A few steps later, he placed the palm of his hand on Patton’s wrist, as if to prevent himself from getting lost in the crowd. “There are a lot of people here.” Virgil stated, “I figured it would be less crowded in the evening.”

“Some people prefer to shop at this hour, and some only get to go home from work now.” Patton said, sending a warm smile in Virgil’s direction, “Are you alright? We can turn back if you’re uncomfo- “

“I’m fine.” Virgil interrupted. He avoided eye contact and looked at the ground.

Patton sighed silently, “Alright, but tell me if you need anything.” None of them said anything for a while. They reached the apothecary. An old, grey stone building by the edge of town. It was standing on its own, a few feet from the nearest house. “Do you want to go inside with me, or would you prefer to wait out here?”

Virgil tapped the fingers of his right hand on his upper arm. “I-I’ll go with you.” he said. Patton smiled, and opened the old wooden door, causing it to creak. Virgil followed. While Patton was looking at the different herbs, deciding which ones he’d need and talking to the store clerk, Virgil stared at a few bottles on a shelf, avoiding any interaction. After purchasing some herbs and other ingredients, Patton approached Virgil with a full, greyish bag, indicating that it was time to leave. Virgil waited for Patton to exit first, and as the door closed behind them, Patton noticed Virgil’s body becoming less tense. It was like a sigh of relief.

“Ready to head home?” Patton asked.

Virgil nodded, “Yeah.”

As they started walking, Patton smiled nervously at Virgil, “Are you alright?”

Virgil groaned, “I’m not _that_ fragile Patton. I can handle being inside a shop.”

“Yes yes, I know b- “

A sudden collection of screams could be heard several streets from there. Patton gasped and Virgil stiffened. The screams became louder and Patton looked at Virgil. Virgil looked back, making an expression of concern and confusion. Patton took a deep breath and started running towards the screams. He looked back to make sure Virgil was following and ran faster. The screams reached Patton’s heart, hitting it with the precision of several blades. As they made it further into town, they saw people running around, confused, _wounded_. There were big footsteps on the road that certainly hadn’t been made by anything resembling a human.

“Patton!” one of Patton’s fellow healers, Edward, ran towards him, panicked, “There’s been a monster attack in the Bottomless Mug! We’re needed in the healing quarters _immediately_.”

Patton caught his breath. _A monster attack?_ “Of course, I’m coming.” he looked at Virgil who had caught up with him.

“Go. I’ll find you later. You’re needed.” Virgil said, hastily.

Patton wanted to say something but decided against it. Virgil could take care of himself. He followed Edward to the healing quarters, clutching his bag of medicine. He had to be prepared for the worst.

* * *

Roman drew his sword, preparing for battle. Most people were still dumbfounded by the sight of the monster. Logan stood up, took a few steps back and scanned the room. The monster was roaring to their right, all three mouths opening as it did so. There was one thing Logan knew for sure, and that was that this monster wasn’t in any of the books he had read. He had never seen it recorded. There were no sightings of anything very similar to it. Sure, the world had many monsters, but it wasn’t normal to discover new ones anymore. While he was astonished and frightened, there was a certain kind of excitement bubbling up inside him. Were they truly some of the first people to see this creature? If so, it was important that he memorized any information he could learn about it while he was observing it. A part of him was still sceptical. It was unlikely that a monster had existed without being recorded by anyone. Especially since the creature looked rather old. A vivid illusion maybe?

Logan blinked twice, breaking himself out of his thought process. Right. Monster attack. Immediate danger. Most people were trying to run out of several exits in the tavern, but the monster was blocking his and Roman’s path. Roman held his sword towards it. That didn’t seem like a wise decision. “Roman, wait!” Logan said, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Roman looked back over his shoulder, locking eyes with the former researcher, “I will help defeat this foul beast.” he said, looking at the creature again. The monster looked (or well, directed its face) at him, and started staggering towards him at an irregular pace. Logan looked around the tavern, to find anything that could be used against the unknown monster. He felt magic stirring inside him, as his heart, beat faster with adrenaline. Was the frightened feeling enough to perform a spell?

Roman ran towards the monster, attempting to stab his sword into its body. It bounced back, and Roman looked bewildered. Logan concluded from that ounce of evidence, that at least parts of the skin were made of a rubber-like substance. Was there anything in the tavern that could be used against the monster? It would be incredibly useful if he had more information to go by. Roman directed his sword at one of the monster’s legs, and the muscles in the creature’s mouths seemed to tighten. It appeared Roman had found a weak spot.

As payback the monster tilted its entire body towards Roman in a swift motion. Logan’s magic bubbled inside his veins. He closed his eyes tightly and focused the energy. A simple shield spell shouldn’t be much of a problem. Logan opened his eyes and placed both of his hands in front of himself, pointing right above Roman’s head. He felt a sharp tingling through his arms, as solid nearly transparent matter, materialized in front of Roman. Roman who had just flinched, awaiting inevitable impact, watched as the creature hit a surface that hadn’t previously been there. He looked back, noticing Logan, standing in a caster position. Roman sent Logan a questioning look, but quickly directed his attention at the monster once again. There was no time to explain Logan’s rather useless magic anyway. Logan had to focus if he wanted to maintain the barrier.

Roman held his sword up and swung it towards one of the monster’s legs again, through an area the barrier didn’t cover. Logan could see what Roman was going for, but to be fair, it was utterly unhelpful. The monster roared with pain and tried to bite Roman once again. This time with something resembling success. The middle crocodile mouth moved downwards, ready to dig into Roman. The barrier stopped most of it, but as a stroke of luck on the monster’s side, a singular tooth managed to dig into Roman’s left shoulder. A frustrated ‘gaaah!’ escaped Roman’s mouth. Logan noticed the bard’s legs trembling. Hopefully it wasn’t-

Roman’s body failed to let him stand. With a loud ‘thump’ he hit the wooden floor in the tavern. Venomous. The monster was definitely venomous. Hopefully the poison wasn’t deadly. Roman twitched on the floor, leading Logan to believe he was still alive. Logan hoped it’d stay that way.

Logan staggered towards the bard and the creature. If he got closer, it might be easier for him to strengthen the shield. Maybe it wasn’t a very good idea, but he couldn’t just let someone die in front of him, even if it was just an acquaintance. He just hoped it wouldn’t lead to both of them dying. He groaned as he visualized a bigger shield. It expanded a little, and he moved right next to Roman. The creature moved each mouth down. Whenever it reached the shield it was stopped, as if it hit a rough metal barrier. Hopefully Logan could keep this up. He really didn’t like relying on hope.

Casting spells exhausted Logan rather quickly, but it wasn’t because he was reaching his full potential. It always felt as if the energy was being blocked somehow. He needed to push himself to cast even simple spells.

Logan noticed five guards entering through the broken wall, running towards the back of the monster. “Aim for the legs!” Logan yelled. After a moment, the guards did just that. Good. At least Logan’s observations were a little helpful. The monster moved its attention to the guards and Logan dared to let go of the shield for a moment. He breathed quickly, and turned to Roman, who seemed to have passed out, but was still breathing.

The guards wacked at the monster’s legs and the monster started looking more and more unstable. With a loud _crack_ one of the legs bent. Logan watched as the tall monster’s mouth came closer to the ground where he was. _Oh no_. Before Logan had time to move out of the way, the monster fell, landing on top of Logan’s leg. Logan felt two sharp teeth dig through his skin, as the world disappeared around him.

* * *

Virgil was standing close to the wall of a weapon shop in the darkness, as the body of the monster was dragged down the street. It was a strange sight as several people were handling it, trying to figure out what to do with it. There wasn’t an ordinary procedure for things like that. Monster attacks like that were rare. Virgil didn’t like it. He saw the colour of the creature, looked at the too many mouths and the lack of eyes. It all reminded Virgil of something. Of some _one_. Virgil remembered the days of looking at the sketches plastered on parts of the cave wall. An inexhaustible hand, writing and sketching on paper through the night. The anatomy of the monster was eerily similar and sent a shiver down Virgil’s spine.

The wind caught Virgil’s hood and he quickly grabbed it before his ears became visible. They served as a constant reminder. Too grey and sharp to fit in most places. Virgil despised them. He despised what they represented, but he couldn’t get rid of them without losing an important tool and perhaps a part of himself in the process. The best he could do was keep them a secret to avoid unwanted questions and theories. Questions he would be unable to answer for multiple reasons. 

As a sixth sense, Virgil felt like someone was watching him. He turned around, looked at every hidden corner, but no one was there. He hastily walked towards the healing quarters, as if he needed to be there to be safe from forces beyond his control. While Patton sometimes treated Virgil like a child, he was the only person Virgil felt safe around. Patton was like a link to a world Virgil never thought he could be a part of. He still didn’t entirely believe it, but Patton was good at making Virgil want to pretend.

The monster was dragged out of the city. Virgil watched it disappear behind the houses. He crossed his arms as he walked. This wasn’t a good sign.

* * *

Logan’s eyes opened, in a much more comfortable position than he had been in when he passed out. He was lying on a soft surface in a room with walls made of birch wood. His head hurt a little and there was a sharp pain in his lower leg, but it was a lot less intense than before. The room was dimly lit by natural morning light, as if the sun had only just decided to show itself. He looked to the right. On a wooden bed with the same types of blankets as his own, Roman was still sleeping.

“Oh, you’re awake!” a soft and somewhat familiar voice said. Logan heard footsteps, as a figure slowly moved towards him. Logan blinked as the shadow of a man turned into a clearer image of a face. The man was supposedly about Logan’s height, if not a bit shorter. It was hard to tell from where Logan was lying. He had short, brown, soft hair and a warm smile. His eyes were a deep brown with a few bags underneath, as if he had been awake for a long time. He was wearing a light blue cloak that was clumsily wrapped around his shoulder and a similarly blue tunic with a leather belt around his waist. The belt held a few small bags, connected to it with string. Logan recognized this man.

“Patton?” he asked, a little uncertain.

The man beamed and smiled even wider, “Yes! Logan! I knew it was you. I just didn’t want to assume and... uhm…”

Logan pushed himself up, so that he could sit in an upright position. It made him feel a little nauseous, but his mind quickly became stable once again. “I haven’t seen you in forever.” he stated in disbelief.

Patton looked like he was trying to prevent himself from jumping up and down. He leaned forward and hinted at a potential hug. Logan gave a nervous smile of acceptance, and Patton wrapped his arms around Logan in a warm embrace. Logan noted that Patton smelled like a mix of several herbs and new fabric. Patton let go. “I’m sorry, I just… Wow, I haven’t seen you since school! What have you been doing all these years, Lo?”

Logan smiled a little. It was odd to hear his old nickname again. While he didn’t visibly share Patton’s enthusiasm, it was very nice to see the man again. “Oh, not that much. I went to the Crow’s nest Academy and was hired as a researcher there after that.” he said.

“You were always really smart, Lo.” Patton said. This caused Logan to straighten his back, proudly. “I finished the Healer’s course... after you left. Then I was hired here!”

Logan looked to each side again. Roman was still asleep. “Where is… Here… Anyway?” his deduction skills didn’t seem to work properly in that moment, which annoyed him immensely.

“Oh! Of course, well… You were attacked by that… _Monster_ in the tavern and you were brought here. This is part of the Healing Quarters.” Patton said, “You had a nasty bite on your leg, but it wasn’t deadly. The monster’s poison only really caused people to pass out. The poison could be extracted with a simple spell and the pain could be eased in the same way as any regular wound.” he made a demonstrative shrug.

Venomous, but not with deadly poison. Noted. “Was anyone else wounded?” Logan asked.

Patton gestured to Roman’s bed, “The man you seemed to be with, and three others were the ones that had been affected the most. The others are recovering in another room, but their wounds aren’t much worse than yours. It was quite lucky to be honest. Seems the town got away with some property damages.”

“Ah, well that might be quite exp- “ Logan’s eyes fell upon a man standing in the corner of the room. He looked even more exhausted than Patton and wore black and purple leather, with a dark fabric hood, “Oh. Who is that?” Logan asked.

The man Logan referred to looked surprised to have been noticed. “Oh! Right! Logan, this is Virgil. One of my friends.” Patton said, gesturing between the two, “Virgil, this is Logan one of my old school friends.”

“I gathered.” Virgil said, giving a small nod, glancing between Logan and Patton.

Logan moved his hand through his hair once. It was somewhat messy after fighting off a monster and having passed out for so long. “I see. Does he frequently assist you at work?” he asked.

Patton looked a bit concerned for a moment, “Sometimes! Uhm… He doesn’t really have a… Permanent position anywhere as of now but he is trying out a few different things.”

As Virgil tensed up a little, Logan heard a noise from the bed next to him. “Mmph… Huh?”

“He is awake too now, it seems!” Patton said, moving to the other bed, “How are you holding up?”

Roman looked at Patton, pure confusion in his eyes, “Where… Where am I?”

“You’re in the Healing Quarters. You were attacked by that monster in the tavern.” Patton said, “You got a bite on your shoulder, but it’s okay now.”

“I see… I…” Roman suddenly tensed up significantly as he looked at his shoulder, “You treated the right shoulder, yes?”

“Well of course I treated the right shoulder. Treating the wrong one would be counter-productive.” Patton said, winking once. It took Logan a moment to understand where Patton was going with that, but as soon as he did, he groaned.

“No, I mean- “Roman appeared to realize at the same time, and chuckled nervously, “Ah, right… But you did only look at the right shoulder, right?”

“The right one was the right one, no?” Patton tilted his head to the side and smiled, “It was where the fabric was torn so I assumed it was the right shoulder I should treat. Do you feel any pain in the other one?”

Roman eased up. “Oh no, it’s quite alright. Thank you.” he said. Logan wondered where Roman had intended to go with the question in the first place but decided not to question it too much. Roman looked around the room and met Logan’s eyes, “Logan! You’re here too!” there was a hint of concern in his voice.

Logan nodded, “I am indeed.”

“Are you safe as well?” Roman asked.

“It appears so. I only got a small bite too.” Logan replied.

Roman looked like he was about to say something, when his eyes fell upon Virgil. He looked puzzled and thoughtful, after which his expression showed clear signs of annoyance and anger. “Hold on you… You bastard!” he said, immediately sitting up in the bed. He grabbed his bitten shoulder and flinched once.

Virgil looked bewildered, but the muscles in his arms tightened. Patton looked between the two men. “Huh?” he said.

“That bastard took two thirds of my food supply just four months ago!” Roman declared, “When I was on my way to a town not that far from here, I settled in for the night and I woke up to him running off with two bags of my rations!”

“Now, I’m sure it wasn’t…“ Patton looked at Virgil who gave an apologetic smile and a frightened, maybe even somewhat annoyed look. Patton’s mouth became a thin line, “Well, He was probably really hungry and…”

“So, you, a third party, admit to this man’s crimes? What business does he even have in the Healing Quarters? I could’ve starved out there!” Roman exclaimed.

“How do you even remember what I looked like?” Virgil suddenly said. A reasonable question to ask.

Roman groaned, and pointed at Virgil, “I’d recognize that weird shadowy fashion style anywhere. Now you even admit to it. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I’m sure he is very sorry th- “ Patton tried.

Roman cut him off, “I want to hear it from _him_. An explanation would be nice as well, if you _don’t mind!_ ” he highlighted the final words with his tone, indicating that he would probably get mad if he didn’t get one.

Patton looked at Virgil with desperation. Virgil closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. His eyes were cold and frustrated, “I’m sorry I was starving and stole _some_ of your rations. I didn’t mean to get caught.”

Logan could’ve sworn Roman’s face became red with anger. “Virgil!” Patton said with a slightly accusing and disappointed tone.

Virgil sighed, looked down and bit his lip. “Fine! I’m sorry okay!” he said. It _did_ sound a little bit genuine.

Roman took a deep breath and looked at Patton. “What is a thief like that doing in here?” he asked.

“He isn’t really a _thief_. At least… Not anymore.” Patton tried. Logan had to admit to himself that he was a bit confused. Where _did_ Patton meet Virgil in the first place?

“So what? He says he has turned over a new leaf or something like that and you just let him into the Healing Quarters near wounded or ill people and their belongings?” Roman accused.

Virgil continued to look down. Patton sighed and looked from Virgil to Roman, “Look, sir. I can assure that Virgil is… Virgil is trying his best!” he sent a nervous smile to Logan before looking at Roman again, “It wasn’t his fault that his life situation back then put him in that position. He doesn’t do that sort of thing anymore, right Virgil?” his eyes suddenly fell upon the man in the corner.

Virgil flinched and tapped his right foot on the ground. “…right.” he mumbled. While the situation was quite dramatic, Logan caught himself smiling once to himself. Taking a former criminal under one’s wing? Unwise perhaps, but certainly something Patton would do.

Just as Roman was about to say something else, the wooden door to the room opened with a scraping sound. A man dressed in a blue tunic, with golden brown skin and long black hair entered the room, “Patton. Do you have a moment? We’ve been called to a short meeting regarding some… Situations around the kingdom.” he said.

Patton gasped. “Certainly, Edward. I’ll be right there.” he looked at his two patients and briefly glanced at Virgil, “I’ll be back in a moment, I believe. Get some rest.”

Patton left the room with Edward, and no one said anything.

* * *

The meeting was a short but rather chaotic one. There had apparently been reports of weird monster activity all over the kingdom. The monster in the Bottomless Mug was the only sighting of an entirely unrecorded monster, but several travellers had reported that monsters were more hostile than usual. There were predictions that healers would be in high demand in the bigger cities, soon enough.

After some brief discussions it was decided that some of the healers in town should head to places with high demand for healers. Patton was asked to head to the capital either that day or tomorrow, due to some connections he had there. He was a bit uncertain about it but was determined to go if that was where he was needed.

He went back into the room with his patients. There was some tension in the air, but he hoped at least some kind of conversation or resting had taken place while he was gone. “How are you two holding up?” he asked Logan and… What was the other man’s name?

“I am adequate.” Logan said.

The other man nodded, “I am also pretty good.”

“That’s wonderful!” Patton smiled. He looked at the man in the white tunic and red belt, “I don’t believe I ever got your name?”

The man straightened his back and smiled at Patton. He wasn’t as visibly angry anymore, “Ah, Roman. Roman Princeton.” he said.

“Nice to meet you, Mr Princeton.” Patton said. He looked at Logan and Virgil. He gave Virgil a particularly apologetic and nervous smile, “I’ve been tasked to go to the capital either today or tomorrow.” he said.

Virgil’s expression became unreadable. “Why?” he asked.

“Seems monsters have suddenly started becoming a lot more hostile. Healers are needed in the bigger cities.” Patton explained.

Virgil looked nervous, but Patton couldn’t help but notice, that it wasn’t just because of Patton’s announcement of going away. There was something else hidden in the expression. “Why the capital specifically?” Roman asked.

“Well, it’s the biggest city.” Patton shrugged, “It might also be because I… I know king Thomas.”

Everyone in the room went silent suddenly. “You know king Thomas?” Roman asked. There was some excitement behind his words.

“I do.” Patton nodded.

“What a coincidence.” Logan suddenly said. Patton looked at Logan. “Roman and I were considering going to the capital tomorrow mo- or well… This morning.”

Patton blinked twice. Logan was going to the capital? He smiled, “Really? If that’s the case we…” he smiled even wider and his eyes lit up, “We could all go together! It’s a long journey and with hostile monsters it might be nice to have strength in numbers.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea!” Roman exclaimed, “Any adventuring group needs a good healer, and if he knows king Thomas, he might be able to-“ Roman’s eyes fell upon Virgil and he tensed up, “Hold on… Is… Is he going too?”

“Of course!” Patton said. He looked at Virgil who looked nervous, relieved and confused at the same time, “If he wants to of course.”

“I…” Virgil placed his hands in some pockets on his clothes. He seemed to be looking for words. Patton patiently waited for something resembling a response. “Yeah… Sure.” he eventually said, as he let out a breath he had apparently been holding, “Why not?”

Patton smiled at Logan. A chance to catch up with Logan would be wonderful. Maybe it would be a great opportunity for Virgil as well, if the surroundings changed a little. Patton hoped it wouldn’t be too much. He should have a more private conversation with Virgil later. “I suppose that is settled then.” Logan said, “Patton, when would it be wise for us to leave? When would you say we have fully recovered?”

Patton thought for a moment. “If you feel like you can stand it should be fine, but don’t force it.” he said, “I think we should leave tomorrow morning. You can sleep here if you’d like, unless someone else needs the beds more. If you were staying at the Bottomless Mug, I’d assume you lack a place to stay after all.”

Roman stood up without too much difficulty and glanced at Virgil. “I suppose until then we’ll just have to gather supplies?”

Patton smiled, “Yeah. Make sure to get some sort of rest too. I’ll see if I can get us some horses or something.”

“I already have a horse!” Roman said, pride clearly showing in his words.

Virgil tapped his fingers on his side. Patton smiled at him and Virgil smiled back nervously.


	2. A blossoming inconvenience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting this chapter a little earlier than anticipated! I just really wanted it to get it out, since it was pretty much finished. I hope you'll enjoy!
> 
> Tw: hostile wolves, mild Remus things

In the depths of a dark and hidden cave, uninterrupted by most life and safe from the unknowing curious eye, a man was sitting at an empty homemade stone table. The man was commonly known as Deceit, a flattering name if he was to give his own opinion. The cave was nice and warm, even in the cold evening air, and Deceit was comfortable, if not a bit restless.

He was waiting for one of his main associates to return. A friend, even. He would be given the information which would reveal if the plan was going smoothly. If their test had worked out. _One step closer_. He got up from the chair, moving it back towards the table, causing it to make an uncomfortable scraping sound against the stone floor.

Deceit’s steps echoed through the chaotically decorated, expansive halls. The cave walls themselves were dark grey with a few other similar shades. They were beautifully flattened by hand to look more like the walls of a home, by generations before Deceit was born. A carpet with a few different colours woven together covered the floor of the long corridor and paintings and sketches were unevenly placed on the walls. It was less like a cave and more like an underground manor hidden by the likeness of one.

There were a few stone doors leading into each room further down. Deceit’s own room was placed to the left by the end of the corridor, complete with the carving of a two-headed snake. It suited him well. He let his hand touch one half of his face, which was covered in scales. They hadn’t been intentional, but they had started to fill him with a certain feeling of power and control.

He wanted to take a look at the Mindsphere. _Their_ half of the Mindsphere. The one no one could take from them. Through years it had been the most prized possession in the Cave. The item that brought them all together and united them with one common goal. Deceit recited the poem like a whisper.

_“Lies lies, hidden away._

_Silence, keeping the truthful at bay_

_Nobody sees, no one is hurt_

_Stay here my friend, do not be alert.”_

The snakes’ heads became separate from each other, as the door opened with a dramatic hesitation. Deceit smiled and took two steps towards the door.

“Hey DeeDee! Are you home or what?” an excited voice much further down the corridor yelled.

With a swift motion with his hand, Deceit closed the door again. “I am right here, Remus!” he yelled back. With long steps, he walked back in the direction he came from. As he turned a corner, there was a man, wearing a not-very-subtle, glimmering, dark green tunic. It was sewn together from all sorts of fabric with a clumsy black cravat placed upon it. On the part of the tunic on the right shoulder, there was a notch, proudly displaying part of a grey mark. His sharp greyish ears lined up with a mischievous grin. He had a moustache which was surprisingly well-combed and twirled in a circle on each side. “So? Any news?” Deceit asked, trying to hide his worries behind excitement.

“It was amazing!” Remus exclaimed, gesturing with his arms. Deceit sighed with relief. “It was _torture_ to look at it without laughing.”

“Oh, I do _not_ want any details about that.” Deceit said, with a teasing smile.

Remus pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. He moved his arms to fit his descriptions. “To think! _My_ creation, wreaking havoc at a tavern in such a _peaceful_ town. You should’ve seen its mouths as the hollow teeth dug into the skin of those unsuspecting townsfolk. Gave them quite a scare!”

Deceit chuckled. “How _dreadful_. I feel _so_ bad for them.” He said, sarcastically, placing his right hand on his chest with mock sympathy.

“They found a weakness rather quickly though, but I suppose that was part of the plan.” Remus sighed, “It _was_ sad to see her go like that.”

“Oh, don’t worry Remus. Your creations will have plenty of time to shine soon enough.” Deceit said with a devious smile.

Remus’ expression changed a little as he pursed his lips. “There was one… Potentially noteworthy thing though.” he said.

“And what might that be?” Deceit said. He tried to sound like he was above whatever comment was about to be made. No need to get carried away in mild worries like that.

“I saw Virgil.” Remus blurted.

Deceit stiffened and his pupils briefly shrunk as if he had been hit with a sudden source of light. An uncomfortable tension filled his gut and his heart beat a little faster. He bit his lip, clenched his fists and recomposed himself. “Is that so?” he asked quietly, “Where? What was he doing?”

“He was standing by a wall, staring at the corpse of the monster with that _anxious_ look in his eyes, you know the one.” Remus said. He looked a little calmer than Deceit unfortunately did, but he was clearly affected in some way too, “Then he ran off.”

Deceit looked down for a moment. What was Virgil doing? What was he doing in some common town? Was he on to them? Deceit looked at Remus again who was itching for Deceit to give some sort of reaction, “It might be a good idea to find him and keep an eye on him for now.” Deceit said, “He knows more than most, and while the spell should prevent him from saying _too_ much, it would be unwise to have him running around like that with no supervision.”

Yes. Attacking Virgil directly would be _too_ _risky_. After all, people might notice. Deceit maintained eye contact. Remus looked at Deceit and nodded, “Understood, DeeDee!” he said.

Remus went to his room, dancing as he ran along. Deceit was once again left alone in the empty corridor. He swallowed something in his throat and took a deep breath. They were so close. There was no time to think about minor inconveniences. They’d make it eventually.

* * *

Virgil watched as Patton struggled to lead the three horses, down the road. “Uhm… Need any help with that, Patton?” Virgil asked, a nervous look on his face. Before Patton could answer, Virgil noticed that Patton was about to be stepped on by one of the horses, and quickly ran to his side. He grabbed two of the lead ropes.

“Ah, thank you!” Patton said, with a soft smile.

Virgil took a deep breath, as he tried his best to control the horses. Patton held a small white one with various black spots. Virgil held a clumsy chestnut one with a long greyish mane and a slim pitch black one with a single white spot on its forehead. “Did you rent them?” Virgil asked.

“Indeed, I did. Not quite ready to pay _foal_ price for them, you know.” Patton said, grinning.

Virgil groaned and tried to hold back a smile. He looked at the horses he was holding and made something resembling eye contact with each of them. There was something calming about looking at them and he had an urge to touch their coat, which he ended up resisting. “Who is getting which horse?” Virgil asked.

“Oh, I don’t know.” the white one with the spots came a step closer to Patton and its mouth briefly brushed against his shoulder. Patton giggled, “I do think this guy likes me though. I was just thinking first come first serve.” Patton paused and glanced at Virgil, “Why? Do you have a favourite?”

Virgil thought about the question for a moment, looking at the two horses behind him. The black horse was quite easily the most beautiful one (and the easiest one to escape with, a part of his brain remarked), but the chestnut one had a certain charm to it. “I don’t know.” Virgil said honestly.

“Well, that’s fine too!” Patton said, “We’ll just see what Logan has to say.”

Virgil clenched a fist around the rope and stared at the ground, as he led the horses in the same direction as Patton. “How long has it been since you last saw him?”

It took Patton a moment to understand the question. “Logan? Huh… It must have been back when both of us were about 15?” he chuckled softly, “My, it has been quite a while now, hasn’t it?”

Virgil didn’t look Patton in the eyes. It wasn’t because he was angry, sad or even that scared. He simply wanted to know who this Logan was. It was important to know your enemies and allies alike. If Virgil was expected to accept Logan as well as his incredibly annoying bard companion right away, surely, he could ask a few questions? “Must be interesting to catch up with him again then.” he said, “What kind of school did you meet at?”

“Uhm, second course Magic School.” Patton replied, distracted by the horse behind him. 

“Logan knows magic too?” Virgil asked, a little surprised and a little concerned.

“Well, yeah!” Patton said, with a mildly worried look in his eyes “He doesn’t talk about it much though.”

“Why not?” Virgil asked, not entirely sure how to feel about that comment.

“I don’t know…” Patton said, scratching his head, “I suppose he was always kind of…” Patton paused, “Actually it’s not my place. In short, he just doesn’t like performing it.”

The chestnut horse behind Virgil was distracted by something, and Virgil had to pull once on the lead rope to get it to follow him again. “Oh… Alright.” he said. Virgil’s personal relationship with magic was complicated to say the least. He’d been told it was a necessary part of the world. Without magic it could easily fall apart. It was a useful tool to fight, to get away, to _frighten_ , to _manipulate_ , to _deceive_. To be completely honest, Virgil didn’t really like it. No, he hated it. He hated how much power one could have with it. With magic, the world could be bent to someone else’s will. It could be used to break and destroy things slowly, without any proper control.

Patton had somewhat challenged that notion. He was one of many healers in the world. With the flick of a hand, he could heal wounds and ease pain. He could make potions without a malicious intent, using them to heal or strengthen good parts of oneself. Virgil had slowly come to terms with Patton’s powers, but that hadn’t entirely changed his feelings about magic in general. Just because magic could mend its own mistakes, it certainly didn’t make those mistakes harmless. “What was Logan like back then?” Virgil asked.

They made it to Patton’s little house. It was a faded yellow, with a soft wooden roof, that rounded in the middle. There was a tiny heart carved into the door, and from the edge of the roof, two small baskets of flowers could be found. It wasn’t quite Virgil’s style, and he felt a little misplaced in there. It suited Patton quite well, however. “He was very intelligent. Always quoted a bunch of smart people and was probably the best student at magic theory.” Patton replied, smiling fondly.

Logan was powerful then. Virgil felt something uncomfortable twist in his gut. “Were you friends?”

“Oh absolutely! I think…” Patton said, tying the lead rope to a robust fence by the house. The white horse gave a content snort.

Virgil made a noise of disbelief which resembled a laugh. “That sounds… Uncharacteristically unconvincing.” He tied one of the lead ropes next to the one Patton had placed.

“Well…” Patton said, “I am pretty sure we were friends. It’s just that Logan didn’t show his emotions that often.” he bit his lip, “I don’t think he ever actually _called_ me a friend, so I am not sure if it counts.”

Virgil tied the other horse further to the left. “Did you consider him a friend?” Virgil asked.

“Of course! I said that multiple times too. He acknowledged that just…” Patton sighed and smiled, “I think he was my closest thing to a friend back then.”

This made Virgil pause his action. The black horse nibbled at his hair, which made him quickly duck his head away from it. Virgil found Patton’s statement incredibly hard to believe. “You didn’t have many friends?”

“Not really, no.” Patton said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. “I mean it was fine. I tried to be nice to everyone and I think I was on good terms with most people. I don’t think anyone _hated_ me. I was probably just a bit too much for some people.” he patted the white horse next to him. “Logan thought I was too much sometimes too, but he never avoided me. Sometimes he was the one to talk to _me_ first. We hung out a lot and he helped me study for tests. I helped _him_ study sometimes too.” Patton chuckled.

Virgil looked at Patton, reconsidering some of his thoughts. It hadn’t really crossed his mind that Patton could ever have felt alone. Whether or not Logan was to be trusted now, it was nice to know that he had been there for Patton in the past. “Sounds like you were friends.” Virgil mumbled.

Patton gave an awkward smile. “Thank you.” he said. He licked his lips. “Did you have friends when you were younger?” Virgil tensed up. Patton continued, “You don’t have to answer of course.”

Patton’s endless patience was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand it meant Virgil could do everything at his own pace and get away with keeping some things hidden. It meant he could easily feel welcome around Patton. On the other, it made him feel so undeniably _guilty_ when he couldn’t give Patton what he wanted, when he asked for so little in return for everything he’d done for Virgil. “I’ve come across a few people.” Virgil vaguely said, holding one hand in place with the other. “I don’t know if I’d count them as friendships exactly.” It wasn’t a lie, Virgil thought to himself. A voice inside his head told him otherwise, but he ignored it to the best of his ability. He tried his best to smile, to highlight the significance of the words that followed “I have a friend now though.”

It took Patton a moment to realize what Virgil referred to. Once he did, he beamed a little. “You sure do and trust me when I say I am hard to get rid of.”

“I believe that.” Virgil lifted an eyebrow teasingly, “Wouldn’t want to anyway. I’m sure it’d be too much work.”

The two men walked into the little house, ready to pack what they needed for the long journey in the morning. Virgil felt a little more at ease than before, but he wasn’t going to let his guard down.

* * *

“So how has my little girl been?” Roman asked, looking his beautiful white horse with a well-combed curly mane, in the eyes. The question was only partially directed at the short stable girl with tanned skin and a brown ponytail, standing next to the man.

“We’ve taken good care of her.” The girl said with a smile, “She has been excessively well-behaved!” she laughed a bit, “Though she is a bit dramatic at times.”

Roman stroked the horse’s head and grinned fondly. “That’s my Majesty.”

After thanking and paying the stable girl, Roman continued down the road with Majesty. She had been his most loyal companion through five years. A strong, brave and magnificent horse with a bold heart and an outstanding willpower.

Roman held a fabric bag filled with various supplies. His lute was placed on his own back, as he had fortunately been able to retrieve it from the Bottomless Mug the night before. The monster hadn’t gotten to it and it had been safely placed by the stairs until he approached the tavern owner to get it back. Since the monster attack, the tavern had been blocked off, and there had been many emergency meetings. No one really knew what to do about it. It was scary and confusing but there was something incredible and adventurous about it, which filled Roman with a thirst for more.

He hoped the journey would go well. He was desperate (though he didn’t like to use that word) to make himself useful, especially after the attack. It probably hadn’t been the best display of his abilities, to fail to defeat a monster and get bitten in return. He had to remind himself that Logan had accepted the offer on is own accord even after witnessing Roman’s faulty sword fighting performance. Roman hoped he’d get a few moments to shine during the quest. It was going to be interesting for sure. A researcher, a healer, a bard and… a thief.

Roman slowly approached the place where they had decided to meet. It was a spot right by the edge of town, where the path split in two. The sun had only just risen. One figure was already standing by the path, having a very handy small black bag on his back. Roman was pleased to see, that it was Logan. “Ah, you’re here Mr. Aldrich.” Roman said.

Logan’s eyes immediately fell upon Majesty. “Logan is fine.” he said, looking at Roman, “Is this your horse?”

“Certainly!” Roman said, proudly, “Her name is Majesty.”

Logan nodded. “That is certainly a name.” he said, “I haven’t seen many horses like her in a while.”

“Yes, she is a unique one.” Roman said, patting Majesty.

“I wonder which horses Patton intends on the rest of us to use.” Logan said, thoughtfully.

Roman and Majesty stopped walking once they were standing across from Logan. “I don’t know. I haven’t known Patton for very long.” he paused, “But you have, yes?”

At this, Logan’s expression became unreadable, “Well, depends on your definition of long. I haven’t seen him since I was 15.” he bit his lip, “Apart from yesterday of course.”

Roman smiled. “A childhood friend reunion then? Not unlike the beginning of some sort of poem.”

“It was hardly that poetic.” Logan simply said, not making eye contact. “Are you alright, after… The attack?”

Roman straightened his back. “Why, yes. Thank you for asking. Are you?”

“I am adequate.” Logan said, nodding. “It was a somewhat fascinating encounter. I haven’t seen a monster like it before.”

Roman chuckled, “You’re so… Weirdly objective.”

Logan adjusted his spectacles, “Thank you? That is what I aspire to be.”

In that moment, Roman heard three horses walking down the road. One was chestnut brown, another white with dark spots and the last one a majestic pitch black. They were being led down the road by the hooded thief and the healer. The healer grinned and the thief stared at the ground. Roman briefly made eye contact with Virgil who simply responded with a glare. There were a few bags strapped to the white horse. “Logan! Roman! Hello!” Patton yelled enthusiastically, walking a little faster.

The two approached and Logan responded with a very professional smile. “Hello Patton.” he said. His eyes fell upon the horses. “I assume those are the horses you intend for us?”

“They are!” Patton said, smiling wide. He gestured to the horses and winked at Logan. “Do you have a favourite?” he asked. The white horse was standing near Patton, seemingly claiming the man as his own. Logan glanced briefly at that horse, and then quickly to the two Virgil was leading. “It would be rude of me not to let your companion there pick the first horse, since he went through the trouble of bringing them here, no?”

Virgil appeared to have a brief confused discussion inside himself. “Oh… Uhm, thanks. I can’t decide on one though, so you can pick yours first.” he said, not looking directly at any of the people around him.

Logan adjusted his spectacles. “Well… Thank you.” Logan said. He walked towards the two horses. Virgil moving a few steps away as Logan inspected them. Roman watched carefully as the researcher did so. Logan gave each of the horses a stroke down their foreheads, walking slowly between them. Eventually, he stopped by the black one. “I think this is the one.” he said.

Patton nodded happily, “She is perfect!”

“Do either of them have a name?” Roman asked curiously.

“Oh! Yes, actually.” Patton said. He gestured towards the one Logan just picked, “The stable workers called her Luna.”

“Very well, Luna.” Logan said, seemingly captivated by the horse.

Virgil sighed. “Guess that leaves this guy for me.” he said, patting the chestnut horse.

Roman held back a chuckle. The horse with the long greyish mane looked so small and clumsy, that it seemed like a weirdly comedic companion to the irascible thief. Virgil glared at Roman.

“Great! His name is Thunder, I believe.” Patton said. This made Roman unable to stop himself from chuckling. Logan gave him a confused look.

“Fitting.” Roman said.

“What is your horses name?” Patton asked.

“Majesty.” Roman proclaimed.

“Just as pompous as the owner then.” Virgil said just loud enough for Roman to hear. Roman glared at the thief.

“Be nice, Virgil.” Patton said.

“Whatever.” Virgil just mumbled. Patton opened his mouth to say something, looking a little confused and maybe a bit hurt. Virgil didn’t look Patton in the eyes, and simply walked to the chestnut horse, getting up on it with some difficulty. 

Logan patted Luna, glancing at Patton, then Roman, then Virgil. Roman felt some tension in the air and a hint of guilt (although he hadn’t done anything wrong) “If we’re ready… We should head out now.” Logan said.

“Yeah…” Patton said, shifting uncomfortably. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again with a determined expression. “We’ll make it there in no time!” he said, walking to his horse.

“I don’t know if ‘no time’ really applies to it. I’d say we have about t-“ Logan began.

“Say, Patton… What was your horses name?” Roman interrupted.

“Oh yeah! Silly me.” Patton giggled, “His name is Flower.” This turned Logan’s confused impression into something resembling a fond one.

“That’s a nice name!” Roman said. He walked to Majesty, patting her gently before getting up on her back with ease, “Flowers are a wonderful symbol. I adore their unconditional beauty.”

Patton looked delighted, and sighed, “So do I.” Logan succeeded at getting on Luna’s back. “Roman, last night you said you knew the way there. Do you want to lead the way?”

“Naturally!” Roman proclaimed dramatically gesturing with an arm. His horse started trotting ahead. Behind him, Logan and Patton started engaging in some light conversation. In the back, Virgil was trotting along on Thunder. Roman could tell he was being watched carefully by him. The path slowly dissolved into an endless field.

* * *

“Say, Logan…” Patton said. They were only about an hour into their journey, and there had been silence among the travellers for a little while. They were riding out in the open, only a few moments from being by the border between maintained territory and wild territory.

“Yes, Patton?” Logan asked.

“You were heading to the capital to apply for a job as a researcher at the castle academy, right?” Patton asked. Logan nodded. He wondered what Patton needed the clarification for. Patton continued, “Any specific reason?”

Pure curiosity, perhaps? It was a lot like Roman’s question from the other night. “They have a lot of newer reports and theories there.” he smiled with something resembling excitement, “Some of them even research the Mindsphere.”

“I remember that!” Patton said, “From history class!”

Logan sighed, “Well it’s imperative to remember the Mindsphere. It’s what keeps the world together.”

Patton hummed a melody, “Because without it, pain would grow, without the forces to withhold.”

Logan was confused for a moment, until he remembered the old folk song. “Ah. _That_.”

“I _love_ that song!” Roman said in front, turning towards the travellers behind him. He looked thoughtful for a moment. He allowed one hand to rest on the trotting horse and used the other to grab his lute. Oh. _Great_.

“If you’re doing what I think you’re doing that would be very unwise, considering you are in the middle of a riding a horse.” Logan stated, hoping it would somehow sway the bard from his decision.

Patton gasped with excitement, “Roman! Can you play it?”

Roman impressively fiddled with the lute with one hand, until he decided to let the other hand follow. After a bit he strummed a chord. “Well of course I can.” he said joyously. Logan groaned and Patton beamed. Logan couldn’t see how Virgil felt about the situation. Roman played a few notes, the horse still trotting forward. He soon started playing a simple strumming pattern. He took a deep breath:

_“Now let me tell a tale_

_Of wonder and betrayal”_

Patton beamed and joined in.

_“The magic from the depths_

_Of a kingdom in distress_

_The Sphere was in the darkness_

_Of a hidden castle hall”_

Logan noticed Virgil flinching out of the corner of his eye. He wondered if it was because he wasn’t a fan of singing either, or if there was something else underneath. Maybe his horse had just moved in a weird way? Patton and Roman sang much louder at the repeated chorus.

_“Because without it, pain would grow_

_Without the forces to withhold.”_

Right before Roman could sing the last note, he started falling off the horse and had to place a hand on it. “That’s quite enough of that.” Logan said, “Getting distracted is unproductive and dangerous.”

Roman and Patton groaned, “Fine!” Roman said, strapping the lute to his back once again. Logan noted that they had made it to wild territory. This was where monster and other hostile creatures were more frequently found. It was a good idea to be on guard. The landscape that unfolded was empty and expansive with half-withered grass and a forest much further to the right. It wasn’t a good idea to go into the forest. He hoped the rest of the group knew that. Roman didn’t seem to lead them in that direction at least. They followed a figurative road nearby.

They kept going for a while, the sun moving up towards the middle of the visible sky. Virgil tensed up behind them. “Did you hear that?” he asked.

Patton turned his head towards Virgil, “What do you mean?”

“It’s like…” Virgil’s face became paler with each word, “Several creatures running… A-a pack?”

“I don’t hear anything.” Patton said, turning to Logan. Logan shrugged, unable to hear anything out of the ordinary either.

Roman looked sceptical for a moment, but then he straightened his back, “I… Hold on.” When Roman spoke, Logan heard something faint from afar. “I think I hear it.” Roman said.

“M-me too.” Patton said. Logan nodded. Virgil looked relieved for a second, but it was quickly replaced with fear.

Roman swallowed, “Let’s… Pick up the pace a little.” The others agreed. The horses galloped along, trying to move further away from the noise. Less than a minute later however, the source became visible to their left.

It was, just as Virgil had said, a pack. It did not consist of any monsters. It was a pack of wolves. About fifteen of them. Uncharacteristically _hostile_ wolves. Usually wolves kept to themselves. Their hunting tactics would be well coordinated, and they certainly wouldn’t try to face a group of humans head on like that without being provoked in some way. No matter how many facts it went against, the wolves were rushing towards them like hungry predators, pushing the grass up from the ground as they did so.

The group kept galloping ahead. Roman grabbed the sword from his scabbard and Logan felt his heart beating faster. Patton and Virgil both looked frightened in their own ways. No matter how fast they galloped, the wolves seemed to get closer and closer. “We… We might lose them in the forest!” Roman yelled. In that particular situation it might not be a bad idea. Roman gestured towards the forest, urging the group to go first. Patton and Virgil went in there with some hesitation and Logan followed. Roman galloped after them, pointing his sword back towards the wolves, trying not to lose sight of them. Logan felt the branches hitting his body chaotically and Luna looked back occasionally, as she was hit by them. Patton and Virgil rushed ahead, and Logan kept a close eye on Roman.

The wolves growled behind them, sounding closer than before. The dark trees slowly cleared for a little glade in the middle of the forest. Light gleamed through the top of it, and it would likely have been a beautiful and peaceful sight if they had not been chased. Right in the middle, there was a lake with a pinkish glow. A lonely willow was standing near the edge. Logan recognized that lake.

A single wolf leaped through the trees, causing Patton and Virgil’s horses to fall, the riders along with them. The wolf growled and barked at them, jumping forward aggressively. Patton managed to hold it off, by pushing it with a series of simple pressure spells. Another wolf leaped towards Roman behind Logan. With a swift motion, Roman swung his sword towards its paw, making it fall behind. _Think Logan. Think._

The wolf attacking Virgil and Patton, leapt towards Virgil specifically. The wolf and Virgil fell over the edge, wrestling against each other, as they fell down the lake. “Virgil!” Patton screamed desperately. He rushed towards it.

“Patton, stop!” Logan caught himself yelling. He stopped his horse and it neighed with panic. Patton breathed quickly, as he turned his head towards Logan.

“We have to help him!” Patton yelled.

“That isn’t a normal lake!” Logan said, glancing behind to check if Roman was safely following. The wolves were still near. “Run further into the forest with Roman. Try to make it to the other side. I know how to get Virgil back up safely.”

Patton looked terrified. The sight made something in Logan’s gut crawl. Patton was sweating, tears appearing in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something. To scream. Then he simply nodded. He got back up on his horse, who managed to stand with some difficulty. “P-promise you’ll both be safe?” he stuttered

Logan gave something that resembled a smile and nodded. Patton smiled softly and nervously, galloping through the forest. Roman gave Logan a confused look but continued with Patton regardless.

The wolves were closing in. Logan jumped off Luna and gave her a pat on the flank. She continued to run away out of pure instinct. He noticed Thunder running away too. Logan took a deep breath.

Then he jumped into the lake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're doing okay! Feel free to leave a comment or something. It makes my day. :)


	3. Lakes and lone wolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading so far :)  
> I hope there isn't too much random unsolicited lore in this one. 
> 
> Tw: Hostile wolves, mild blood and wounds.  
> Please let me know if there is anything else you want me to tag. :)

Virgil fell and wrestled as if his life depended on it. It likely did, since the water surrounding him, quickly removed his ability to breathe, which was all in all an uncomfortable experience. The wolf’s fur floated upwards in the water, and its mouth closed abruptly along with Virgil’s own. Virgil tasted the freshwater, that had managed to get into his mouth before he closed it, holding his breath. A sharp pain went through Virgil’s body, as the wolf’s claw cut into Virgil’s neck. He flinched and wrestled the wolf’s paw away from him. He had to get up from the lake before he drowned. Why didn’t the wolf attempt to get up too? As far as Virgil knew, wolves weren’t exactly aquatic creatures either.

A tiny bit of blood flowed from the open wound on Virgil’s neck and the wolf looked at Virgil with the same hostile eyes as before. Virgil looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of the surface of the lake, but he simply fell further away. His heart was beating rapidly, as he used his remaining strength to keep the wolf’s claws away from him. He couldn’t hold his breath much longer. What if he died there? Drowned underneath a wolf, in the lake of some unknown forest. He hoped and begged that Patton wouldn’t be too sad. The thought of the healer’s pain was like a stab to Virgil’s gut. Yet again, the thought of the dangers ahead of them, the monster, the voices in the dark…

Maybe they’d be better off without him.

Right when Virgil thought he couldn’t hold his breath any longer, he started to fall. It wasn’t in the same peaceful way as before. He was falling free, and as he opened his mouth to yell with surprise, no water entered. Above him, the water looked solid, as if being held by a glass tank of sorts. Virgil’s hair and clothes were still wet, and so was the wolf above him, who looked just as dumbfounded as Virgil felt. It was as if time had stopped. Less than a second later, Virgil landed on a surface.

It wasn’t a rough stone surface, as part of him had apparently expected. It was soft and squishy. When Virgil looked down, it looked a bit like the solid water above him, merely resistant enough for him not to fall through. _What the heck?_ The wolf had landed on top of Virgil, but its eyes were closed and its breathing calmer. Virgil concluded it passed out as they fell. Virgil took a deep breath, feeling the softness and heat from the wolf on top of him, and the squishy water-looking substance underneath him.

As he looked around, he saw he was in some sort of unfamiliar underground corridor (the fact that he had to specify to himself that it was ‘unfamiliar’ was weirdly humorous to him), built from stone bricks. The room he was in, was as large and round as the lake. As he looked ahead, the path narrowed, turning into an even, rectangular corridor, that went on for a while, only for it to split in two towards the end. Torches lit up the corridor, creating a calming and warm light. If it wasn’t such a weird and terrifying situation, maybe Virgil would’ve liked the sight.

Taking another deep breath, he carefully slipped out from under the wolf, praying to some hypothetical deity, that it wouldn’t wake up. It stayed put, silent with closed eyes. Virgil was relieved, as he attempted to stand up. This proved to be a difficult task, as the surface underneath him absolutely wouldn’t even out. Instead, he settled on crawling to the corridor. With each step, the weight of his body left marks in the ‘water’. After crawling through the lake-shaped substance, Virgil made it to the other side, sitting by the edge of the lake, looking at the empty corridor. The water was dripping from his clothes, his hood clinging to his head as if it was all it knew. Where the heck was he, and how was he supposed to get out of ther-

In that moment, Virgil heard a scream.

* * *

Logan absolutely didn’t like falling. Humans were not meant to anyway, but it was necessary sometimes. At least in that oddly specific situation. As soon as Logan had reached the water, he’d dived, taking off his spectacles, and holding them in his right hand to avoid losing them. He was a moment away from falling through the barrier. He didn’t close his eyes. He needed to observe and be on guard. As he saw the water changing underneath him, he turned his body, so that his feet would be the first to land. Little by little, his body fell through the water, moving swiftly downwards. In less than a second, he landed on the squishy surface, his legs unable to keep him standing. He landed on his stomach, and clumsily placed his spectacles in the right position. He looked around. A few feet away from him, there was a wolf, seemingly asleep. Concerning but unimportant for now. He was indeed where he had theorized, he’d be. After a moment his eyes fell on a familiar man, staring at Logan in disbelief. The other’s black leather clothes were soaked. Logan felt his own robe, uncomfortably clinging to his body.

The two men maintained eye contact for a few seconds. Logan wasn’t entirely sure how to process the situation. He was really there. Logan figuratively killed the silence, as he cleared his throat. “The Penzivi lake passageway.” he simply said, unable to think of anything else.

“W-what?” Virgil said. There was a pause as both men breathed.

“We’re in the Penzivi lake passageway, discovered by Alexiana Penzivi, as recorded in her journal approximately 273 years ago.”

“Logan… w-what?” Virgil repeated. Logan didn’t say anything. He allowed himself to sit, brushing some water off the spectacles and his clothes. He managed to stand, carefully stepping through the unusual surface underneath him, only nearly falling three times. He made it to the edge, standing a few feet away from Virgil.

“The journal contains a lot of fascinating findings really. It’s absurd that it isn’t more common knowledge.” Logan continued, “The research done by Penzivi was _ground-breaking_ for her time an-“

“Logan.” Virgil interrupted.

“Yes?”

“Why are you here?” Virgil asked.

Logan adjusted his spectacles. “Ah yes.” he bit his lip, “Patton was about to jump after you without a plan, which seemed highly unproductive since he is unaware of the layout of these corridors, and I figured that since I’ve done a lot of detailed studies on the matter-“

“…You’d jump after me without a plan instead?” Virgil finished, raising an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t say it’s _without_ a plan. I am quite certain I know the way out after all.” Logan said.

Virgil looked around the room, “ _Quite certain_ , you say?”

“Well the layout changes slightly on occasion, but as long as it follows the same general pattern as Penzivi recorded, it should be fine.” Logan replied. He did have a plan. They’d make it out and return to the others in an adequate amount of time.

Virgil sighed, “What about Patton and Roman? Are they alright? Are the wolves still attacking them?”

Logan licked his lips thoughtfully, tasting the freshwater upon them. “I told them to ride through the forest to the other side, and then we’d meet them there.”

Virgil stiffened, “And the wolves were still attacking?”

“…Yes.” Logan stated.

Virgil avoided eye contact and rubbed his face nervously with his left hand. “ _Great_. Guess they’re another capable fighter short then...”

Logan paused. “Capable?” he heard himself say.

Virgil looked confused, “Well, yes. Don’t you know combat magic or something like that?”

Logan opened his mouth and closed it again, his hand hanging in the air without a use in that moment. “Who told you that?” Logan settled on asking.

Virgil bit his lip and looked like he had said something incredibly wrong, which was odd, since there was nothing inherently wrong with Virgil’s question. Logan had simply asked for the source. “Well… Patton said you went to magic school together at some point.”

“Ah.” Logan said, adjusting his spectacles. He caught himself wondering what else Patton might have said about him, but quickly stopped himself. How was Logan to explain? It wasn’t that he _couldn’t_ cast spells. “We did… I just… uhm…” Logan felt an unfamiliar nervousness catching up with him, “I wasn’t particularly _good_ at it per say.”

Virgil didn’t look like he believed Logan entirely. His eyes narrowed. “Patton said you were great at magic theory.”

At this Logan sighed, “Yes. Magic _theory_.”

Virgil tilted his head to the side. “I don’t get it.”

“Well I understood the _theory_ behind most magic. I loved to research and learn about it but…” he scratched his nose, “In practice it’s a lot less… theoretical. Don’t get me wrong the theory is important but performing magic is very much a matter of visualization and _feelings_.” he gestured with his arms almost mockingly at the last word, and quickly moved them down to his side again in defeat. “Neither of which I am… Very good at.”

Virgil looked like he didn’t know what to believe, settling on a flat chuckle. “Feelings aren’t a skill.”

“Maybe not but… They’re not always powerful enough to create spells, especially not without the visualization abilities to do so.” Logan felt frustration building up inside him. Saying it all out loud was an uncommon occurrence. He hadn’t even realized how much thought he had put into thinking it all through. It wasn’t that it mattered to him. Did it?

Virgil looked at Logan with narrowed eyes. It was as if he was reconsidering something. Trying to comprehend something. Had Logan used a word somewhere that was hard to understand? He tried to review his sentence, to see if there was something, he could explain better. “I suppose that makes sense.” Virgil said, “Though that would still make you a capable ally.”

“…I suppose so.” Logan said, seeing the facts in Virgil’s words, but not entirely believing them. “So, must you. Considering your past, you must have a great deal of experience in several practical fields.”

Virgil flinched slightly. “I suppose.” he mumbled. None of them said a word for a few moments. Virgil nodded towards the corridor. “Should we… Get going?”

Logan blinked twice to bring his mind back to the task at hand. “Yes! Certainly.” he said. He started walking towards the corridor and noted that it was surprisingly cold. He counted the torches with ease “Eleven.” he mumbled, “We’re turning left.”

Virgil followed Logan sheepishly. “So… Eleven torches always means left?”

Logan nodded, “According to Penzivi’s theory, later confirmed by a few other explorers, every corridor where the number of torches is equal to a prime number, you turn left.”

Virgil chuckled with a confused expression. “That is… Oddly specific for a magical, underground, mysterious labyrinth.”

Logan turned a left and absentmindedly counted the torches on that passage. “Magic might be difficult to go about scientifically, but it rarely comes without a pattern.”

* * *

Patton bolted through the forest on his horse with a determined look on his face, trying to ignore the chaotic stream of thoughts that attempted with all their might to invade his attention. Tears were still crawling through the edge of his eyes. Behind him, Roman was following, holding back the wolves rather skilfully with his sword. The branches scratched Patton’s forehead as the forest narrowed and appeared to go on forever. As Patton’s heart started beating rapidly, he felt energy rushing through his veins. “Roman! Get in front of me!” he yelled.

Roman looked away from the wolves for a second. His expression was worried, but quickly changed into a professional one, as he gave a nod. Roman galloped in front of Patton at a rather impressive pace. Patton placed one hand on Flower’s back, turned around slightly and placed the other one in an outstretched position. Like a comforting wave, the magic rippled from his chest to his arm and a transparent barrier materialized in front of him. It settled around him, Roman and the horses in a cube. Three of the wolves crashed into the barrier and fell to the ground momentarily. Patton flinched at the sight. He really didn’t like the idea of bringing harm to those creatures, even if they had attempted to attack them. He didn’t know much about wolves, but he felt like something had to have provoked them to make them attack in the first place.

Patton felt himself nearly falling off his horse and gave Flower a gentle pull. With a neigh, he stopped, though Patton could feel that the horse wanted nothing more than to continue. “It’s alright, friend. It’s going to be alright.” he mumbled, his attention not leaving the wolves and the barrier.

Roman stopped his horse too, turning around slightly to look at Patton. His mouth gaped a little at the sight, but he quickly recomposed himself. “What now?” he asked, looking at the wolves desperately trying to make it through the barrier.

Patton bit his lip. He slipped off his horse and Roman did the same. “I think I have an idea.” he said, nodding towards a pouch in his belt, “T-take the herbs in there and give them to me.” Roman obeyed, and loosened the pouch opening to take the herbs. They were a calming midnight blue with small round leaves, cut into tiny individual pieces. Roman handed the herbs to Patton, who grabbed them with his free hand. Patton involuntarily closed his eyes tightly for a moment. “Alright…” Patton said, he glanced at Roman with an apologetic smile, “I-I am going to have to let go of the barrier for a moment. C-can you hold them back a little longer? Without hurting them too much?”

Roman raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath. “How long?”

“Only a few seconds, if all goes well.”

Roman looked like he would have given a witty remark of sorts but decided against it. He nodded professionally. “Will it work?”

“Hopefully.” Patton said, honestly. Another wolf banged determinedly towards the barrier and Patton flinched at the sound.

Roman lifted his sword in a battle-ready position and smiled. “Ready when you are.”

Patton waited for a moment before letting go, tightening the grip around the herbs. He took a deep breath. “Now.”

The cube around them dissolved into nothingness, but before Patton allowed himself to relax, he focused his energy to his other hand. A pinkish glow ascended from it, gathering around the herbs. While he did that, Roman swung his sword at the wolves. He hit towards their mouths and claws, battling them as if they had held four swords of their own. The wolves in the back seemed to beg for a chance to go up against him too. As the pinkish dust settled, a claw reached for Patton, scratching his chin. He winced but didn’t let it bother him too much. He quickly stretched out his arm and presented the palm of his hand with the blue herbs to the wolves with closed eyes. _Please work_.

For a few moments, the wolves kept on attacking them with hungry eyes. Then, their noses turned towards Patton’s hand one by one. Their mouths closed, and one at a time they moved closer to the hand, smelling the herbs. Roman looked at them, his sword clearly still ready to attack at any wrong movement. One wolf started licking some of the herb leaves off Patton’s hand, and another joined in. With his free hand, Patton opened another pouch in his belt, taking out a bit more of the same kind of herb. He cast the same pinkish spell and presented the hand to some more wolves. Soon, all the wolves that had previously been so keen on attacking them, had eaten some leaves from Patton’s hand and suddenly had a lost and confused look in their eyes. Their breathing became calmer, and the first wolf’s eyelids slowly fell. In an instant, the wolves dropped one by one to the ground, asleep.

Roman lowered his sword and his shoulders relaxed. “What _was_ that herb?”

Patton breathed. He looked at the peaceful faces of the wolves. They reminded him of innocent dogs, resting after a long day of chasing sticks and treats. He couldn’t help but smile. “I usually call them Tranquillity Leaves. They’re often used to anesthetize or calm patients.” he nodded towards the wolves, “They usually work more effectively on smaller animals though.”

Roman looked at Patton, a hint of respect in his eyes. “How did you get them to eat it?”

“Uhm… I forgot what the spell is called exactly. I usually call it a sweetness spell.” Patton tried. He rarely had to explain his exact methods. He’d mostly done that when he was still doing the Healer’s course. “It’s most commonly used to get children to consume medicine and such. It gives herbs a better taste and an appealing scent.”

“That… That was brilliant!” Roman suddenly exclaimed. Truth be told, Patton was a bit surprised it had worked too. He didn’t usually use any of his methods on wolves, and it could have had unforeseen consequences. It seemed to be working perfectly though. There was a hint of pride in Patton’s heart, which filled him with a sense of momentary fulfilment. “How long does it last?” Roman asked.

Patton thought for a moment. “Hopefully long enough for us to get to the other side of the forest.”

Roman placed the sword in his scabbard and got up on his horse with ease. “We’d better get going then.”

* * *

Virgil and Logan had been walking through the corridors for a while. They hadn’t spoken, and it all mostly consisted of Logan counting torches and Virgil following. While Virgil sometimes liked silence, it was also something that made room for a lot of unwanted thoughts and feelings. The corridors seemed endless. Whenever they turned a corner, a similar one appeared. “How long does it take to get to the end?” Virgil eventually asked.

Logan continued to walk at the same stable pace with the same deadpan expression. “It’s hard to tell. If we walk in the right direction, we’ll eventually reach the end.”

“When is ‘eventually’?” Virgil asked, not meaning to sound annoyed. Mostly he was just frustrated and desperate. He needed to get to the surface.

“Well, in 149 out of 150 recorded cases, it only took approximately 30 minutes to 26 hours to make it out.” Logan said, turning another corner.

Virgil bit his lip, afraid to ask the question he was about to ask. “And the last case?”

“11 years and ten days.” Logan just said.

Virgil froze and stopped walking. “11 _years_!?”

Logan stopped too, looking back at Virgil. After a moment, his expression became awkwardly contrite. “It only happened once, and that was without the knowledge we have now. It’s unlikely that it will happen to us too.”

Virgil looked at Logan with frustrated disbelief. “What could possibly take that long?”

“It changes sometimes. Usually it’s some sort of puzzle.”

“Puzzle?” Virgil exclaimed, “I don’t think I am any good at _puzzles_!”

Logan straightened his back. “I happen to be excellent at puzzles, so I do believe we will get out of here before the day is over.” When Virgil didn’t respond, Logan continued, “Now, I would highly recommend that we keep walking, since standing still is considerably unproductive.”

Virgil sighed and did as he was told. The two men continued to walk, and Virgil felt a worried pit grow inside him. Logan kept walking straight ahead without any hesitation. Virgil admired how certain Logan seemed to be, but he worried the certainty couldn’t be trusted.

Logan cleared his throat and glanced at Virgil. “Would you have preferred if we had some entertainment?”

Virgil looked at the researcher. “At least silence is better than listening to bard songs.”

Logan suddenly snorted. “True. I never really liked that song Roman played earlier.”

Virgil was a little confused by this. It was uncommon to find people in the kingdom who showed any kind of dislike towards the beloved folk song. “Why is that?” he asked.

Logan glanced at the ceiling and then straight ahead once again. “I think the lyrics are clearly a product of their time. It is based on strictly one-sided sources. Now, I am not saying I necessarily agree with the actions of queen Violet, but reality is oftentimes a lot more nuanced than that. One should always look into many different sources before drawing a conclusion, no?”

The folk song followed the legendary story of queen Violet and queen Maya. A story that not only detailed the discovery of the Mindsphere, but also how it had eventually been torn in two. The gentle queen Maya had decided to protect it and hide it away for no one else to touch. Queen Violet had figured a different approach would be more productive, and wished to observe and test the Sphere, to find ways to use it to the Kingdom’s advantage. The conflict had eventually ended with a torn Kingdom _and_ Mindsphere. The legend had been retold countless times. In the song, which was one of the most popular retellings, queen Maya was described as the intelligent one, who didn’t want to put the Kingdom at risk.

What stood out to Virgil about Logan’s approach was how simple and academic it was. He had a sneaking suspicion that most people in the Kingdom were somewhat neutral to the story as well, but Virgil hadn’t heard many people actively dismiss the song’s approach before. At least not without promoting something else. “I suppose so.” Virgil said.

There was a quiet whimper further behind them. Virgil and Logan both tensed up. They glanced behind them and nothing was there. They glanced at each other and didn’t get any more information by doing that. “Could that be…?” Logan tried.

Just as he said so, they were met with the somewhat pathetic sight of a tired and confused wolf, limping right behind them with exhausted steps. Virgil recognized it as the same wolf who had wrestled him to the lake, but it had an entirely different look in its eyes. There was nothing aggressive about it, nothing inherently terrifying. It wasn’t the same kind of predator who had mercilessly attacked him. It was like a sad and exhausted domesticated dog. Virgil wasn’t sure how to react. He backed away from it with caution, but the wolf didn’t at all seem like it intended to hurt them. “It’s the wolf.” Virgil stated.

Logan nodded. “It must have followed our scent.”

The wolf carefully approached them. The two men observed it. “What does it want?” Virgil asked.

Logan didn’t respond right away. He walked a single step closer to the wolf, who growled once. It dawned upon Virgil, that it wasn’t because it wanted to attack him, but because it was scared. “I think it wants to get out of here. It might’ve followed us because we were the closest thing to something from the surface around.”

Virgil clenched his fists. “But… Why is it so calm now?” he asked, “It just tried to kill me!”

Logan took another step closer to the wolf, who backed away slowly. He kneeled and beckoned it to come closer. Virgil instinctively stayed behind Logan. After a few moments of hesitation, the wolf walked towards Logan. As soon as it was standing in front of him, carefully sniffing the researcher, Logan placed a hand behind the wolf’s ear and started scratching it. Its eyelids fell up and down, clearly enjoying the scratching. “Now, I am no animal expert, but I think the fall might have jumbled its mind.” Logan said.

“How so?” Virgil asked, slightly mesmerized by the sight.

Logan pursed his lips. “I am not certain. The wolves attacking us was out of place in the first place.”

Virgil dared to move a few steps closer. The wolf glanced up at him, sticking out it’s tongue as Logan’s scratching became more intense. “Do you think it’s permanent?”

Logan shrugged. “I don’t think we have enough data to go by, but so far I don’t see any reason for it to change without a shock similar to the fall.” he paused, “Or whatever made it attack us in the first place.”

Virgil moved closer to the wolf and kneeled cautiously. He followed Logan’s example, and patted its back. The wolf appeared to be having the time of its life. “So, what? We just… Let it follow us?”

Logan looked thoughtful. “Either we let it follow us or we somehow physically prevent it from doing so, which honestly seems like an unnecessary option.”

Virgil felt the warm fur underneath his hand. It was rather calming to touch. “I… I guess.”

Logan moved his hand away from the wolf’s ear and stood up. “Let us just continue.”

The wolf tilted its head to the side and stretched its neck. For a merciless predator who had attempted to kill him, Virgil found it rather adorable.

* * *

Roman and Patton galloped through the forest at a steady pace, and the forest had finally started to open. Roman assumed the wolves would’ve lost their scent by now if they had woken up, and he no longer felt the same rush of adrenaline as before. He noticed Patton glancing worriedly back on occasion. It was clear that he was bothered by the fact that Logan and the thief weren’t with them. Roman questioned where on earth they were in the first place. He’d heard some frantic sentences exchanged between Logan and Patton after Virgil was wrestled into the lake, but he wasn’t sure what they had been talking about. He’d gathered that Logan had a plan to save the thief somehow, which was rather noble of him.

Once again, Roman found himself to be the weakest link. The thief had heard the wolf, Logan had a noble plan to save someone, and Patton had certainly saved Roman’s life back with the wolves. Sure, Roman had fought back the wolves with his sword, but he hadn’t saved anyone. The urge and determination to prove himself grew inside him each passing moment. He felt wind in his hair, as the last trees disappeared around them. Patton stopped his horse and Roman followed suit.

That was when Roman noticed the tears, still lingering in Patton’s eyes. He’d seen them back when they were holding back the wolves together, but something told him there were even more this time. Patton wasn’t looking directly at Roman or anything else for a moment. As soon as his eyes met Roman’s, he smiled. It wasn’t entirely genuine.

“Are you alright?” Roman asked cautiously. His horse was just slightly ahead of Patton’s.

Patton blinked once, swallowed something in his throat and looked down. “Yeah, I’m just a bit… Worried.”

Roman nodded. He got off his horse and walked to the other man’s side. He held his arms out, ready to help Patton down from his horse. It wasn’t that Roman didn’t think Patton could get down from his horse. It was like an instinct. An indicator that he was there to help and willing to listen. Roman felt the warmth of Patton’s hand on his shoulder, as Patton supported himself on the way down. “Do we wait for them here?” Roman asked.

Patton glanced at the forest and then at Roman. “Yes.”

“What happened with them anyway?”

Patton clenched his fist. “I am not sure…” he said, “Virgil fell in the lake and Logan said it wasn’t a normal lake and that he had a plan to get him back and I-“ Patton cut himself off not finishing the sentence.

Roman nodded. “Logan seems like the type of person who knows what he is doing.”

At this, Patton gave a light chuckle. “That’s true.”

Two horses galloped from the forest without riders. A chestnut one, and a black one. Logan and Virgil’s horses. Patton gasped. He ran up to Luna who appeared to be the most panicked, and made a ‘shh’ noise, as he patted her. As she calmed down, Thunder did too. He grabbed some lead ropes, strapped to Flower, and tied each of the horses to a tree. “I am glad they found us.” Roman said. Patton smiled and nodded, though the worries clearly showed in his expression.

There was silence for a moment, as Roman walked a bit away from the horses and sat down in the grass, near an oak. He felt the warm grass under his palms, heated up slightly by the early afternoon sun. Patton approached Roman and sat down next to him, still not meeting his eyes. Roman’s eyes fell upon the small, still new scar on Patton’s chin. It made Roman flinch slightly, even if it didn’t look particularly bad. If only Roman had been able to hold back all the claws successfully. Now Patton had a tiny commemorative scar. “Does it hurt?” Roman suddenly asked.

Patton looked confused for a moment. He followed Roman’s eyes to the scar. “Oh. Well, not _that_ much. It’s not much worse than a slightly deeper papercut.” The look in his eyes suddenly became mischievous, “Those wolves were quite _ruff_ to hold back. I’m sure a bard such as yourself could tell quite a _tail_ about it.”

Roman didn’t hold back the instinctual mix between a chuckle and a groan. He noticed the other man’s brown eyes light up. “Oh, _fur_ crying out loud.” Roman tried. This seemed to make Patton even happier.

“I am _paw_ sitive you’re enjoying it.” Patton said.

Roman smiled, “ _Fur_ haps.”

“Using the same pun word twice, now?” Patton said, with mock disappointment.

This made Roman chuckle. “It appears you are correct.” he said, “Seems you’re the master of puns here, Patton.”

The exchange visibly cheered Patton up for a little. There were still worries hidden in his eyes, and he glanced at the forest occasionally. Roman decided not to address it. What was there to say anyway? They were just waiting. The two men sat in silence until Patton finally broke it. “Where did you learn to play the lute?”

The question caught Roman a little off guard. He looked at the lute, constantly placed on his back. “This gorgeous instrument?” he said, grabbing it carefully. He placed it in his lap and gently touched the soundboard of it. It was a light 8-course lute, the front built from simple spruce and the back of maple wood. It hadn’t been very expensive, but it meant a lot to him. “My mum taught be how to play.” he said, “I got my first lute when I was 9, and I got this one when I left home.”

Patton glanced at Roman, and then at the sky. The horses were eating grass, each having their own preferred spot. “Who did you live with before?”

Roman thought for a moment. “I lived with my mum and my dad. They ran a bakery together.”

“Did they like art and stuff too?” Patton asked.

Roman chuckled. “Well, while my mum _did_ play the lute, I wouldn’t say they truly shared my passion for the arts.” He fondly remembered the day his mum had taken him to see his first play, at the local theatre. It hadn’t been a very big production, but an uncommonly official one. The following months, it had been difficult to find one’s way around the Princeton household without stepping on unorganized pieces of paper, scattered across the floor, as the young Roman attempted to write his own play, accidentally starting several new plays in the process. “They were always supportive though.”

“That’s good!” Patton said, in a surprisingly enthusiastic tone, which almost caught Roman off guard. “Do you visit them often?”

“Not as often as I’d like to.” Roman admitted. He hoped his parents were doing alright. “I hope I can pass by soon, however. I regularly send them letters. They can’t always write me back because I travel a lot, but I know they read them.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to visit soon.” Patton said. There was silence between them for a while, as Patton looked at the forest again. He sighed. “When do you think they’re coming back?”

The statement clearly referred to Logan and Virgil. “I-I am not sure.” Roman said, honestly, “Though I am sure Logan has a plan. He’ll come back with tha- the-“

“With Virgil.” Patton finished, not meeting Roman’s eyes. There was something determined in his tone, whether it was to correct Roman’s hesitation or simply to highlight the fact that they would come back. To hope. To insist.

Roman bit his lip, trying to hide the mix of fear and contempt in his voice. “Yes. With Virgil.”

Patton clenched a fist. “You know, you don’t have to be all rude to him.” he paused with a nervous look, “Not that I think you’re rude or anything, it’s just… Virgil has a good heart, you know?”

“I’m sorry.” Roman said, almost genuinely, “It’s just that… I don’t know…” Roman tried to make sense of his thoughts, “I mean, it’s not that I doubt it’s _possible_ for someone to change, there is just something…” _dark, untrustworthy, unsettlingly familiar,_ “I can’t quite place it.”

Patton sighed. “I know he can be a bit cynical and even rude sometimes.” he placed a hand on his own wrist, “But he has been through a lot. He means well. I promise.” the last words came out like a whisper.

“Has he even told you about his past?” Roman asked, not meaning to sound like he was accusing Patton of anything.

Patton glanced at Roman with a confident expression. “Some of it.”

Roman took a deep breath, “Well if he has only told you some of it, how can you be certain?”

“Well if you don’t know any of it, how can you be certain?” Patton said, in a calm but decisive tone.

Roman breathed. “I am sorry.” he said, “Yo-you’re right… I’ll try to be nicer.”

“Thank you.” Patton said.

Roman looked down at his lute. Hm. “Patton.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to sing a song with me? As we wait.”

Patton grinned. “I’d love to.”

* * *

Logan, Virgil and the wolf had once again been walking in silence for a while. Logan didn’t truly mind. It gave him space to think, which was always a fascinating way to pass the time. He was in the _Penzivi lake passageway_. He still had a hard time comprehending it, even if his initial reaction was to find the logical way out. Granted, he wasn’t the first person to set foot there, even since Penzivi, but people tended to avoid going there intentionally. It could potentially take many years to get out, but people had a lot more knowledge now! Every journey in the passageway was different, but they weren’t _that_ different. With a bit of logical reasoning, exploring the passageway was simple. Logan noticed his human traveling companion shift uncomfortably. Virgil placed his hands together, fiddling with each part. “Is something amiss, Virgil?” Logan asked.

“They’re definitely going to die up there, aren’t they?" Virgil suddenly said. There was a certain confidence in the uncertain statement, “They’re outnumbered, running through a dangerous magical forest with several hostile and uncontrollable wolves behind them. There is no way they’ll survive that.”

Logan bit his lip. “Well, yes, it is entirely possible that they could die.” he stated matter-of-factly. This seemed to catch Virgil off guard. He stopped fiddling, and merely looked at Logan with an odd and reconsidering expression. “That doesn’t mean they will, however. They are both capable adults. Patton has his healing abilities if one of them should come to harm, Roman mentioned he was a skilled sword-fighter, and even when fighting against some… Concerning odds, I am sure they can think of something.”

Virgil’s expression was in a state of dumbfounded disbelief for a moment, before he blinked himself out of it. He let out a breath and chuckled flatly as he stared at a wall. “Blind optimism isn’t your strong suit, is it?”

Logan figuratively froze as he walked. He was being too blunt again, wasn’t he? “I am sorry.” he tried, “I am not sure what else to say in such a situation.”

“No, it… It’s all good.” Virgil said, “It’s weirdly… refreshing?” he chuckled, “Usually people just call me cynical or depressing or p-p-“

Before Virgil had the time to finish his sentence, Logan turned another corner. This time, the corridor didn’t split in two. There was just a cold stone-brick wall, and a small pillar-like table with a cube about the height of a hand on each side. In the middle of the cube there was glass, making that part of it somewhat transparent. “Oh.” Logan said, “It appears we’ve made it.”

“Made it?” Virgil asked, “What do you mean? Is this…” he looked at the cube, “Is this supposed to be a… puzzle?”

“I believe it is the beginning of one.” Logan said with a firm nod.

Virgil stared at it with a sceptical expression. “Tell me… How exactly does this passage _create_ puzzles? Does it just… Make them up sometimes? Are they predetermined or…?”

Logan sighed. “It is rather complicated to explain, and we still lack some research to determine it exactly.” He tutted, “One of the most popular theories is that the passageway has some sentience to it.”

“ _Sentience_?” Virgil asked, a bit frightened by the notion.

“Well, not that the passageway itself is _necessarily_ sentient, but rather that it is being maintained by some sort of sentient beings.” How did one explain it? “The puzzles are usually based on the personal experiences of whoever falls down here. It is almost as if the passageway _learns_. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“So, what you’re saying is, that some mind reading beings are creating personalized puzzles in a potentially inescapable dungeon?”

“It is not _inescapable._ I thought we established that.” Logan said.

Virgil sighed. “What are we supposed to do with that cube then? What does that have to do with anything?”

Logan walked closer to it, inspecting it carefully. He noticed the odd shape of the glass, pointing in various directions. “I think it is trying to lead us somewhere. If we find some sort of well-directed light source it will likely help us along.” he was more certain of the statement than he expressed.

“Should I get one of the torches?” Virgil asked.

“Hmm… I don’t think that will do the trick.” Logan looked down at his hands with a sigh.

“What then?” Virgil asked.

“It’s probably expecting magical light. It’s trying to appeal to our abilities. Honestly I hoped it would rely more on deductive reasoning than that.”

“…Oh…” Virgil said. There was a weird and uncomfortable hesitation in his voice. Logan wondered what that meant.

“It’s fine. I’ll do it. I just have to…” Logan tried to focus his energy on his hand. He groaned. “I don’t… Why does it have to be so _difficult_ to do when I just need it casually!”

Virgil looked surprised at Logan’s sudden frustrated outburst. “Can I… Can I help?”

Logan looked at Virgil. “Sorry. I am not certain. I just… I need to feel some more intense _feelings_.”

The wolf that had remained in the back, carefully approached Virgil, who scratched it behind its ear. “You seem to be _feeling_ rather frustrated right now.” Virgil mumbled.

Logan stiffened. “I… I suppose that is correct.”

“So, you can just like… Feed on that? Use your frustration to cast a light spell?” Virgil bit his lip, “Is that how it works?”

Logan gave a half-hearted laugh. “An oversimplification, but yes.”

“Then you’ll just have to think of the things that make you frustrated. The things that make you scared or angry?”

Logan nodded. That did make sense. If he tried to heighten his current emotion, he would be able to get the spell out properly. He couldn’t help but wonder what made it so hard for him to do so. He remembered the other children casting simple spells early on. They weren’t very controlled and well-thought out, but they were clearly spells. Logan hadn’t been able to cast a spell intentionally (or that many unintentionally either) until he was 10. His successful spells had been far and in between.

_I’m sorry, Ms. Aldritch, but maybe you should consider enrolling your son in some extra magic classes. He is far behind._

Logan couldn’t believe it. _He_ was far behind? He’d read Werdigralion theory at the age of 9. He followed every single class. He took countless notes. Nothing ever seemed to be good enough. Feel. Visualize. What about understanding? Reading? Theorizing? Why was his effort never good enough? Why was _he_ never good enough? All because of that ridiculous magic potential, he never asked for. Logan clenched his fist. His value shouldn’t be determined by that.

“Uhm, Logan?” Virgil said.

“Yes?”

“Your hand is glowing.”

Logan looked down at his hand. A faint light was radiating from it. “So it is.” Logan said like a whisper. Visualize. Logan focused on his hand and imagined a small stream of light coming from it. It didn’t take long, before a ray fell through his hand, landing on the glass in the middle of the cube. The light ray ran through the glass, deciding on a very precise direction. It landed on a brick near the right corner of the closed off passage. “Ah, a mysterious out of place brick.” Logan sighed, “Very original I see.”

Virgil chuckled, slightly bewildered. “Was that sarcasm?”

“A hint.” Logan just said. He nodded towards the brick. “Try to inspect that.”

Logan continued to focus his energy, trying to maintain the semi-frustrated feeling that appeared to keep it going. Virgil stopped scratching the wolf’s ear, much to its disappointment, and walked towards the brick. He carefully placed his hand on it. It was loose. With a bit of pushing and pulling, he removed the brick, and the light landed on a circular purple surface underneath it. The circle started glowing.

Near the top of the parallel wall, a few bricks fell to the ground. Behind them, the painted images of three snakes appeared. The one furthest to the left was yellow with a tongue of silver, the next one was red with a tongue of gold, and the third one was blue with a tongue of cobber. They all had the same pattern on their scales. Logan suddenly noticed Virgil figuratively freeze.

“Is this place known for its sense of humour?” Virgil asked, coldly.

“I wouldn’t say so. Why?” Logan asked back.

Virgil sighed. “Nothing.”

Logan took a deep breath and tried to let go of the energy in his hand. The light ray disappeared, but the snakes stayed. Good to know that the effect was more permanent. Logan walked closer to the snakes and inspected them closely. The pictures seemed to be made of a soft type of wood. They looked rather impressive. It was incredible what the passageway could come up with. What was the significance of the snakes? The red one was similar to a milk snake of sorts. Did it have anything to do with their native regions?

“It’s the yellow one.” Virgil blurted, so quickly and quietly, that Logan almost didn’t hear.

Logan switched his attention to the hooded man, standing near the other side of the room, still holding a brick in his hand. “How do you know that?” Logan asked.

Virgil shrugged. There was something unreadable in his expression. “It’s a hunch.” Virgil dropped the brick on the ground and placed one hand around his other wrist, “It’s uhm… From an old song.”

“Which one?” Logan asked. It hadn’t sounded like it had just been a hunch.

“You wouldn’t know it.” Virgil just said. He started walking towards Logan, “If the Passageway takes things from our memories and such, I am quite sure it’s the silver-tongued yellow one.”

“Do snakes have any kind of significance to you?” Logan asked, slightly confused.

“I… I just don’t like them.” Virgil stated. Logan was sceptical but decided not to question it too much. Virgil seemed rather certain after all.

“Do you know what we have to do with it then?” Logan asked.

Virgil walked closer, looking at the snake with contempt in his eyes. “The material…” he mumbled to himself. He looked at Logan. “Can you stand back for a second?”

“I suppose.” Logan said. He took a few steps back. Virgil reached for an area in the leather clothing that hadn’t previously been very visible. It was a small black scabbard. He grabbed a knife from there. Virgil stepped back once, aimed, and threw the knife in one swift motion. The knife flew through the air, digging firmly into the body of the snake in the picture. Logan flinched a little. Virgil looked incredibly satisfied. The silver tongue of the snake popped out on impact, becoming three-dimensional. Logan wondered if it was made of real silver. The knife also fell back down, luckily not landing on either of the visible, sentient beings in the area. Virgil picked it up.

“It appears you were correct.” Logan said, adjusting his spectacles, “Do you happen to know what to do next?”

“I’m not su-“ Virgil looked thoughtful, “Do you hear that?”

“Hm?”

Virgil started walking around the corridor, carefully looking at different spots. “That noise…” he stopped near the middle of the room, where the cube was still standing. “It’s like water.”

Logan walked towards Virgil, who pointed in the direction of the noise. As Logan got closer, he did indeed hear the trickle of water somewhere. “Ah. I see.” Logan kneeled by the pillar-like table, the noise becoming slightly clearer as he did so. “You have an outstanding hearing, Virgil.”

Virgil didn’t look at Logan. “Thanks…”

Logan considered their options. The wolf walked to Logan confusedly. The water appeared to come from inside the small pillar somewhere. “Can the cube be moved?” Logan asked.

Virgil placed his hand on the cube, lifting it without much difficulty. “Yeah. Oh, uhm… There is a purple circle thing under it.

“There is?” Logan said. He stood up. Just as Virgil had said, there was a slightly smaller circular purple surface in a tiny hollow area on the table. Logan grabbed the cube from Virgil’s hand without properly thinking. Right. Feelings. They were so close. The previous frustration wasn’t as apparent anymore. What did he feel then? Logan felt accomplished and calculative. Those weren’t very powerful emotions. The wolf sniffed Logan’s leg, and Virgil tried to call it back to prevent the distraction.

What else could Logan think about? He tried to focus as much as he could. He thought about getting out of the passageway, making it back to Patton and Roman. He thought about making it to the capital. He thought about researching, the Mindsphere, his countless theories. Just as he had hoped, a very faint light started appearing in his hand. He visualized the same ray as before, and while it was slightly weaker, it was effective enough. He pointed it towards the purple circle, and it started to glow just as the previous one. The wolf jumped backwards, as the pillar table moved to the right, revealing a hole. There hadn’t been many bricks underneath it, and as the pillar scraped across the floor, everything underneath it appeared thin and hollow. An area of a pinkish lake was visible.

“We’ve found it!” Logan exclaimed.

“Found what? Another lake?” Virgil asked.

“The exit!” Logan clarified.

“How is that an exit? It just leads us further down.”

Logan shook his head. “No. This lake works differently. It transfers physical matter to a similar susceptible surface.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, “So it’s like… A portal?”

“Ah well, yes.” Logan said, “If we go through that lake, we’ll show up on the other side.” The small hole seemed to be just large enough for each of them to go through individually. “I can go first, and then you can follow.”

Virgil gave the lake a nervous glance. “Alright.” he looked at the wolf, “What about…?”

“That is a good question.” Logan said. The wolf looked a bit spooked. “With a bit of luck, it might continue to follow us.”

Virgil patted the wolf’s head, “I’ll check up on it.”

Logan smiled. Then he sighed and gave his almost dried clothing one last look before lying down on his stomach near the lake. He pushed himself forward, took a deep breath and dived down. He felt his body pass through the water, and gave his logical orientation a break, as a new surface appeared. The dive had turned into swimming up towards the surface of the lake they’d travelled through in the first place. The water disappeared around his head, and he took a deep breath, letting in the late afternoon air in the forest. It was rather exhausting to swim fully clothed, and he couldn’t wait to change into something else. He swam towards the edge of the lake, climbing onto the lakeshore.

Moments later, a clearly disoriented Virgil emerged from the lake. One hand was firmly placed on his hood. The other was wrapped around the wolf, who ascended moments later. Logan waved at Virgil, who appeared rather relieved. Virgil let go of the wolf, who followed instinctively, and swam towards Logan with some difficulty. “Here.” Logan said, reaching out his hand, to stabilize Virgil. Virgil blinked twice and had an odd expression for a moment, before grabbing Logan’s hand. Virgil used his free hand to climb onto the shore, receiving a little extra help from Logan. As soon as Virgil made it, he let go. The wolf made it to the shore, shook its body, leaving even more water on Logan. The wolf then darted towards the forest, frightened and eager to get away.

“There it goes.” Virgil stated. There was something weirdly melancholic in his voice.

“Yes.”

Virgil stood up, brushing his clothes, and adjusting his hood. Logan noticed the wound he'd absentmindedly taken note of ealier on Virgil's neck. It wasn't open anymore. Virgil looked at the ground nervously. “Uhm… Thank you… For you know, going after me.” he shrugged.

“You’re welcome.” Logan replied. He noted that Virgil appeared to be a rather amiable individual. “You did well down there.”

Virgil held back a smile of sorts, “Uh, thanks.” he looked around nervously, “Where did the others go?”

Logan nodded in the direction he’d seen Patton and Roman gallop towards. “That way. They’re hopefully waiting for us there.”

Logan noticed that Virgil’s breathing wasn’t entirely calm. “Y-yeah. Let’s go.”

The two men walked side by side towards the end of the forest.

* * *

None of them noticed the winged eyes looming above them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virgil the stereotypical lone wolf rogue petting a wolf. :P  
> Feel free to leave a comment or something! I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> I made a Sanders Sides sideblog on tumblr by the way! If you want updates you can follow me there. @dramaticsnakes


	4. Scrutinizing avians

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> Tw: Strange misshapen monster, mild blood, average Remus warnings apply, being watched, cursing  
> Please let me know if there is anything else you want me to tag. :)

Three literal disembodied eyeballs with bat wings were flying far above the forest. They were watching every step Virgil, and whoever the man with the spectacles was, took. Each of them sent signals through an optic nerve, connected to tiny brains, placed within parts of the wings, who were a lot larger than each eyeball. Auditory systems were also placed on them. The brains sent each signal to a very focused man, who wasn’t anywhere near the forest.

Remus was sitting on the floor of his room with closed eyes, enjoying the thought of the three similar eyes he could look through. Was it an unnecessary creation? Maybe, but Remus wasn’t really one to worry about necessities. He’d wanted to create eye-bats for years and, thanks to the new possibilities showing up, they could finally be realized and used for a purpose. Remus wasn’t that excited about the whole purpose business but being a creative mind before your time rarely allowed you to do art for art’s sake. After all, what was art without an audience? What was art without a medium? He had been given access to both for the small prize of a purpose. Why three eyes? Eh, it was fun. He hadn’t had three eyes before, and they certainly hadn’t been flying around with actual minds of their own. For a moment he imagined what having three eyes attached to him would feel. Where would he put the third one?

Oh right. Focusing. The eye-bats watched Virgil and the slightly taller man with the spectacles. They had just emerged from a lake, all wet and unfortunately clothed. Really, if they planned to go for a swim anyway what was the harm in removing all those layers of clothing? That ridiculous hood? It had taken Remus a little while to find Virgil, and a bit of convincing that a new creature was worth testing for it. Eye-bats were perfect, since people could probably confuse them for large bugs or small birds if they were far enough away. He had a strong urge to just fly down there and show them off, but of course that would be _strategically unwise_ as DeeDee put it. Now that he had the eyes on Virgil, he just had to pay attention to his findings.

The two appeared to be having a pleasant exchange, after the wolf Virgil had brought with him ran off. Where in the name of fornication, did Virgil get a wolf? Why wasn’t it scratching his eyes out for getting too close? That would’ve been a fucking sight worth seeing. Remus made a mental note of the wolf. It might be fun to investigate later. After the smart-looking one nodded in a direction, Virgil started following. That was… Weirdly trusting. Remus clenched his fists and bit the inside of his cheek. He let the eye-bats follow from above. He couldn’t hear much. The two men were walking rather close to each other. As they walked underneath some trees, Remus lost sight of them. Shit. Carefully, he allowed the eye-bats to descend, accidentally hitting some branches on the way down. While he didn’t feel the branches as they hit them, it still made him twitch whenever their vision was blocked. One eye-bat dived behind a branch, and the other two hid behind some bushes. 

“…will be an hour at most.” the unknown man finished.

“Did you hear that?” Virgil suddenly asked, glancing in the direction of the bushes. Remus tried his best to make the eye-bats perfectly motionless.

The man with the spectacles stopped walking. “I did not. What did you hear?”

Virgil looked around the area nervously for a few moments before sighing. “N-nothing I just… I thought I heard something move.”

“It could’ve been a squirrel or a bird.”

“Right. You’re right. It was probably nothing. Sorry.” Virgil said. Remus recognized the anxious tone as he blocked his own ears to hear the words properly. Nervous, unsure and defeated.

“There is nothing to be sorry for. It’s perfectly understandable that you’re a bit on edge after all of that.”

“Yeah, whatever, thanks Logan. Let’s just keep going...” Virgil mumbled. So, the one with the spectacles was named Logan? Another important thing to note, was that the two were on first-name basis. Strange. Remus had seen Virgil grabbing Logan’s hand to get out of the water earlier. What did any of that mean? It was so dull to observe it without interfering. It was odd to observe without shaking and strangling Virgil to ask him what he was doing.

Remus placed the palm of his hand on the cold stone floor. Patience. Remus would have to be patient, and figure it out. Even if that wasn’t exactly his strong suit.

* * *

Virgil’s feet were starting to become sore, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Each insignificant bug on the ground, and each bird sitting peacefully on a branch, seemed to mock Virgil’s senses. There were noises everywhere. They were exhausting and incredibly foreboding. Who knew when another hostile wolf would jump at them from the bushes? Another strange thing was that Virgil missed the feel of the wolf’s fur under his hand. Who knew that calmly touching a creature who had previously intended to kill you would be so addicting? Virgil had tried to ask Logan if he thought the wolf would be able to go somewhere safely, to which Logan had responded with a non- committal ‘It might’. Virgil hadn’t bothered to question it further.

Logan wasn’t really saying much which wasn’t too uncommon. While Logan clearly knew how to talk, there was nothing for him to talk about. The two men had a goal. They needed to make it to Roman and Patton before they were assumed dead. Patton. It had been a while since Virgil had been around the soothing healer. It annoyed him a bit, that he even noted it had been a while. It was no use becoming dependant on anyone. It was a very bad idea.

A bird took off, flying up towards the treetops. A leaf descended, sliding down Virgil’s hood. Virgil’s mind briefly thought of their other traveling companion. The somewhat annoying grudge-keeping bard. Virgil couldn’t quite tell what it was that annoyed him so much about the man. Well, except for the obvious pretentiousness of course. Yet, there was something almost uncanny about him. It didn’t make sense, but there was something eerie about the look in his eyes. Virgil really didn’t like it.

“Huh. That is curious.” Logan said, stopping abruptly. Virgil turned his head, realizing that he had been so busy being aware of his surroundings, that he’d forgotten to pay attention to them.

The area in front of them looked slightly different from the rest of the forest. Something had clearly affected it. For one, some dirt and moss on the ground had been flattened or thrown to the side creating the outline of a neat square. Despite that, it was clear something a lot more chaotic had taken place there. Smudged footprints and grass violently ripped from the ground covered the area, and there was an odd smell lingering in the air. Virgil stared at the scene. “Oh.” he whispered.

“I suspect Patton and Roman passed through here.” Logan said. He inspected the square on the ground. “There are clear signs of a battle and I believe these are marks from a fairly powerful shield spell.”

“Where did the wolves go then?” Virgil asked. He tried to find signs that the battle had continued further down the path, but the footprints from the wolves seemed to stop abruptly. There were signs of hooves continuing onwards, however.

“Perhaps something caused them to turn around?” Logan tried, raising an eyebrow, “I must admit that it is slightly odd. We have little data to go by, surrounding the wolves in general.”

As Virgil inspected the scene, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was small, shiny and mesmerizing. He looked in its direction, noticing a dark shard placed by a tree. It was hard to tell whether it was placed there manually, simply tossed to the side or left behind. Looking at it was undeniably addicting yet strangely uncomfortable to Virgil. As he allowed his eyes to let go of the sight momentarily to glance at Logan, he noticed that Logan seemed even more intrigued. Logan started walking closer. Virgil had an indefinable instinct to pull Logan back, but he didn’t.

Logan approached the shard with a confused and fascinated expression, and Virgil hesitantly followed. The closer Virgil got, the more the worried pit in his stomach grew. The details of the shard became clearer and clearer, as Logan bent down to pick it up. Logan inspected it in his hand, carefully moving his thumb down its surface. He adjusted his spectacles with his free hand to get a closer look.

The shard was small, perhaps two and a half inches long and one in width. It looked as fragile as glass, yet the dark glow it held, somehow made it seem more powerful. It almost had the shape of a crystal, looking quite valuable despite its strange location near a damaged forest path. One thing was clear, even to the untrained eye: The shard was magical. It showed in the way the dark colour almost seemed to flow through the shard, and the way it was nearly impossible to look away from it. Another thing Virgil was certain of, was that he absolutely didn’t like the shard. He didn’t like how addictive, sweet and powerful it felt. He didn’t like how easily it fit into Logan’s hand. Half of Virgil wanted to hold the shard close, while the other (and possibly saner) half wanted to grab it and throw it as far away as possible. Logan didn’t seem quite as bothered by the shard. It simply appeared to have piqued his interest. “This is peculiar.” Logan stated, his eyes not leaving the shard.

“D-do you know what it is?” Virgil asked. Maybe he could make sense of his thoughts with a bit of clarification.

“I have no clue.” Logan said, “It’s clearly magical and powerful, though I haven’t seen anything quite like it before.”

Virgil was certain he had felt something similar in the past. That _wrong_ yet _enticing_ feeling. He could partially feel it whenever he was near magical objects, but the shard felt even more wrong. It wasn’t meant to be there. It didn’t fit in. When had he felt that? Virgil’s thought momentarily drifted to the dark Cave walls, and a room he wasn’t allowed to enter. He remembered a lingering dread that was overshadowed by an alluring energy. He suddenly felt a lot paler. “It might be dangerous.” he said, with a voice that was barely audible.

“Maybe so.” Logan mumbled. He pried his eyes away from the shard to look at Virgil with an apologetic but certain expression. “I’d like to investigate it further. I think it might be important. We only need to handle it delicately. If it proves to be a problem, we can find a safer location for it.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Virgil said, a little too quickly.

Logan looked at Virgil, confused. “Why not?”

“I-it feels wrong.” Virgil tried.

Logan made a ‘hm’ sound, as his eyes fell upon the shard yet again. “That… May be the case, but if so, wouldn’t it just be more irresponsible to let it stay here?”

Logan had a point. If Virgil’s overwhelming feelings meant anything, maybe leaving it there, where any human or creature could find it, would be a bad idea. A part of Virgil wished they hadn’t seen it. If they hadn’t known it was there, it wouldn’t be their decision to make.

 _What you don’t know can’t hurt you_.

As Virgil thought further about it, leaving the shard to Logan seemed reasonable. Logan appeared to know a lot about magical objects, and if anyone would be able to figure out what was potentially dangerous about it, it’d be him. Virgil hoped that the shard hadn’t somehow affected Logan’s mind. “You’re right.” Virgil said, though his voice was dry and silent.

Logan delicately closed his hand, holding the shard as if it could break at any sudden movement. Without another word, he continued through the forest. Virgil fiddled with his hand and looked at the ground. He swallowed something in his throat and followed.

* * *

“What would the princess do then?” Patton asked with genuine curiosity in his eyes.

Roman was beaming. “She would take the raven’s advice, leaving the valley behind in order to pursue her destiny!”

Patton gasped. “But that’s so sad!” he said. He gestured with his arm akin to Roman. “Her family would be devastated!”

Patton and Roman had been sitting by the edge of the forest for a while, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. They had continued to sit on the grass. After an hour or so, they’d eaten some of their rations. Patton had made a few worried comments about whether Virgil and Logan were hungry too. After singing a couple of songs together (hopefully not alerting anything dangerous), their conversation had evolved into something else. Roman started telling stories. He soon learned that Patton got invested very quickly, which was a fun experience as a storyteller. Time had started to pass in a much less unbearably slow manner. Roman looked thoughtful. “That is true, but it would be for the good of the kingdom.”

Patton looked down. “And what would happen to the raven?”

“Well, her work would be done.”

“That’s not fair! The raven would be lonely after that. What, was she born _just_ to inform the princess?” Patton exclaimed, “What if the raven went with the princess, and they go on a long journey together. The raven becomes a friend to the princess who left her family behind, and the princess becomes the family the raven never had.”

Roman chuckled, at the cute additions Patton made. Though it wasn’t entirely impossible, that the idea could lead to something interesting too. It was refreshing to have someone contribute as well as listen. Roman pursed his lips. “You know what?” he placed his hands on the grass again, “On her way out of the valley, the princess encounters the raven again. In a moment of fear and desperation, she offers the raven to go with her. The raven, surprised at the offer, agrees.”

Patton’s smile became wider, and he sat up straight. “Oh! That’s so cute.”

Roman smiled wryly. “It _was_ your idea.”

“Since you’re the storyteller, it only counts when you say it.” Patton said matter-of-factly. The way the man’s eyes lit up sparked delight in Roman’s chest.

Roman snorted, but before he had time to say anything else, he noticed the horses jerking up their heads. Patton looked at them in the exact same second, immediately tensing up. His expression, which they had otherwise managed to ease up, became worried and focused once again. Roman heard a rustling from the forest, placing one hand lightly on the grip of his sword.

The breathless moments of caution felt like an eternity. Roman caught himself being on the alert for any sign of movement, twitching slightly as the wind touched the treetops. Suddenly, two figures trudged through the outskirts of the forest. A millisecond before Roman realized what was going on, Patton jumped up, running towards them. “Lo! Virge!”

Roman stood up, looking at the two familiar men. They seemed, to put it mildly, a bit unkempt. Logan’s hair was rumpled and looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in days. Virgil’s eyes somehow managed to look even more exhausted. The clothing they wore was completely soaked and clung tightly to their bodies. Every feature in their faces seemed highlighted by dirt, water or exhaustion. Roman momentarily pondered how _he_ looked after the whole ordeal. He brushed the thoughts away and focused on the way Patton warmly embraced Virgil, visibly tightening his grip every second. Patton sighed with relief, making Roman do the same. “I’m so glad you’re safe, kiddo.” Patton said, so silently that Roman doubted anyone, but Virgil was supposed to hear.

“Kiddo?” Logan said confusedly, proving that Roman wasn’t the only one who had overheard. “Is that a mispronunciation of the word _kid_.”

“Hm?” Patton said, glancing up from Virgil, still holding him close. His tone was largely overcome by excitement. “It sounds cute though, no? Kid, kid… Little kiddo.”

Virgil hugged Patton back. “I’m not cute.” he mumbled. Roman noticed a small smile on Virgil’s face hidden behind presumably fake annoyance.

Patton placed a hand on each of Virgil’s shoulders, making eye contact for a few moments. Roman imagined what Patton’s expression looked like. Fond, excited, maybe with a leftover tear. Roman felt a bit awkward standing a bit away from them all. He didn’t feel like he had truly gotten to know either of the two men well enough to greet them with the same amount of enthusiasm. He doubted they’d want him too. Patton finally let go of Virgil, moving on to Logan. He looked at him with a distant fondness. “Thank you, Logan. I’m so glad you’re both here. We were worried about you two.”

Patton slowly dragged Logan into a hug, which Logan seemed to accept rather well. Roman considered Patton’s usage of the word _we_. He wasn’t wrong though it always made Roman consider something an extra time when he was included in sentences. He looked at Virgil, and upon eye contact, he heard his own voice speaking. “It’s good that _the dark and stormy night_ didn’t manage to get himself killed.”

Virgil looked confused for a moment. It was as if he needed to confirm that he was the one Roman was talking about. Then, his eyebrows fell down, in an unimpressed manner. “I could say the same about you, Princey.”

Rather than feeling insulted, Roman had to hold back a light chuckle. “Princey?” Just as he was about to snap back, he noticed Patton looking between them. Roman closed his mouth, looking away as if the exchange was objectively over. Virgil tilted his head slightly, subtly noticing the sudden switch in Roman’s expression. _Great_. Roman looked at Logan instead. ”What happened?” he asked.

Logan cleared his throat. “Well… Virgil fell into what is known as the Penzivi lake passageway.”

“The Pen-city lake…?” Patton tried.

“No, the Penzivi lake passageway.” Logan massaged his nose, “It is in the second course curriculum, you know.”

Patton looked a bit confused, but then he perked up. “Sorry. I can’t quite _pen_ it down.”

Logan didn’t appear to notice Patton’s emphasis, though Virgil snorted. “It is a bit like an underground dungeon, presumably built by creatures or humans way before recorded times.” Logan continued, “The layout is rather simple and repetitive though it takes a little while to get out. I went down there with Virgil, in order to lead the way.”

“Well done, Lo!” Patton said, in a similar way as one would if they were praising a child. Roman had a feeling it wasn’t meant to be condescending, however. Logan looked somewhat pleased by the reaction.

Roman suddenly noticed something in Logan’s hand, instinctually walking a step closer. “What is that?” he asked.

Logan opened his hand, revealing a shard with a dark glow. Each line and curve made it appear as a crystal. It was spellbinding to look at, and Roman wanted to give it a closer look. He couldn’t bring himself to move much closer, though. There was something deeply embedded in him, that told him it would be a bad idea. “I am not certain.” Logan stated, looking at the shard himself, “We found it in the forest and thought it safer to bring it along than leave it for the wolves or something along those lines.”

Virgil looked at Patton. “What happened to those wolves anyway?”

“Oh! Uhm… Roman managed to fight them off with his sword long enough for me to calm them down with some herbs.” Patton said.

Roman felt that Patton was overexaggerating the part Roman played during the attack but decided not to say anything. Virgil looked skeptical. “What happened to them after that?”

“We don’t know.” Roman said. For some reason, Virgil looked shocked that Roman was the one who had decided to reply. “Did you encounter them?”

“We did not.” Logan declared, “They were gone by the time we showed up.”

“That’s strange.” Patton mumbled.

Roman thought about it for a little. Where did the wolves go when they woke up? Perhaps they had merely darted back through the forest. Roman looked at the sky. The sun indicated that it was late in the afternoon. “We should really find a place to settle in for the night.” he said, nodding towards the horses, “If we ride a bit further, there is a fairly safe spot I know of.”

Logan shook his head, as if he had been in deep thought. “Right. That is a good point. Being near this forest during the night is far from ideal.”

* * *

Remus couldn’t make much sense of the entire situation. Sense was of course, incredibly overrated, but it was still quite strange. He’d sent two eye-bats flying far up in the sky to watch from above. The last one remained by the bushes, though he couldn’t hear the voices that clearly. Remus felt something that reminded him of a wooden stake, being stabbed through the blowhole of a whale, obstructing its method of breathing, as an unknown man embraced Virgil in a familiar and fond way. What the _fuck_.

Virgil wasn’t the type of person who just accepted _hugs_. Sure, Remus had managed to get a hug in there a couple of times through the years, but it wasn’t _that easy_. Even after so long, supposedly building trust, Virgil had still stiffened upon any kind of physical touch from Remus. He was a bit more accepting to hugs from Dee, but it wasn’t anything _close_ to casual for _years._ Maybe more than a decade. Yet, there Virgil was, casually accepting a hug from a man Remus could consider a damn stranger. As if it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, Virgil hugged the stranger _back_.

What the _fuck_ was Virgil playing at?

The other unknown man, apparently awaiting Logan and Virgil’s return, caught the eye-bats’ attention rather quickly. Remus wasn’t sure what it was. His split vision made out a pair of deep chestnut eyes, light brown skin, and a strangely familiar grin. No, no, no… That couldn’t be right. Remus wanted to get a closer look. He wanted to inspect the man’s face properly, and let it be engraved in his memory. Nail the head to a wall and scream at it to place exactly what was so familiar about it. He had to remind himself that this was but a meaningless stranger. He pried two of the eyes away from him, instead looking at Logan’s hand.

The shard still glowed within. The second Remus had seen it, he had known it was beyond important. He needed to inform DeeDee about it as soon as possible. After some exchanges about wolves, the shard, pens and what not, the three strangers and Virgil started trotting along on their respective horses.

Remus removed his hands from his ears, hearing a trotting elsewhere. Well, it wasn’t a trotting. It was walking. Steps that echoed down the halls. Remus opened one of his eyes. “DEEDEE!” he yelled, “Come in here!”

The pace of the steps increased momentarily, until they stopped right outside of Remus’ door. Remus heard a gentle tap on the ground. “It would be so _inconvenient_ if you opened the door and let me in then.” Deceit yelled back.

Remus closed his eyes again, to make sure he didn’t lose sight of the horses. He shrugged. “Why? You know how to open it!”

The door was fairly soundproof, but Remus could practically _feel_ the exasperated sigh from his friend. “Just open the door, Remus.”

“Whatever you say, Dee!” Remus exclaimed, opening an eye again. He took a deep breath, tightening the muscles in his stomach, as he screamed at the top of his lungs. The noise was inhuman and delightful. It was a very freeing experience, that left his mouth a bit dry, and his throat a bit sore. The door opened inwards, revealing two halves of a detailed engraved sword. Behind the door, there was a man with a black cape neatly placed over the cravat of a dark grey robe with a yellow pattern by the edges. His head was decorated with a small, black, cavalier hat with a yellow feather, and half of his face was covered in scales. He had a pair of grey, sharp ears, and carried a cane that curled into the shape of a crooked snake. His expression was resigned.

“You should really change that opening mechanism, darling.” he said, looking down at his hand.

“Why ‘sat?” Remus asked. He found it a bit difficult to focus.

Deceit sighed and smiled weakly. “It doesn’t matter. We can discuss that later. For now…” he walked behind Remus who was sitting on the floor, with calm steps, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Remus felt the warmth and weight of it, causing him to let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. “Did you find anything?”

“DeeDee…” Remus cooed, “Sit down on the floor with me. It’s _boring_ when you just ominously lurk behind me.”

Deceit rolled his eyes, walking a few steps forward, so that Remus had a somewhat clear look of him again. Deceit then sat down, cross legged on the floor. He would be a bit under half an inch shorter than Remus, if he wasn’t that good at straightening his back. “Tell me. Did you find anything?” Deceit repeated in a slightly sterner tone.

Remus closed his eyes again, watching the four men riding onwards. “I found Virgil.” Remus said, “He is… Traveling with some people.”

Remus heard Deceit taking a deep breath. “Has he seen your… You know.”

“Do you have _any_ faith in my discretion skills?” Remus asked, taking mock offense.

A cold chuckle came from Deceit. “Who is he traveling with?”

“Three others. One of them is named Logan. He wears spectacles and a black robe. He helped Virgil out of a lake earlier.” Remus said it as if he was reading off a script.

“I see.” Deceit said, “And the other two?”

“I am not entirely sure what their names are.” Remus murmured, “One of them wears a white tunic, he has brown eyes, and… and…”

“And the last one?” Deceit attempted to finish, getting Remus back on track.

“Yes, yes.” Remus said, “He wears a blue tunic, a cape and a pair of spectacles. Looks like a fucking prude.” he paused before saying the last part, “He… I saw him hugging Virgil.”

“ _What?_ ” Dee uttered in a cold and disbelieving tone.

“They hugged. The one in the blue tunic embraced Virgil and Virgil hugged… Back.”

Remus couldn’t see Dee’s face, but it wasn’t that hard to imagine the expression dropping, as the sorcerer attempted to hide the wide range of emotions he’d rarely admit to feeling. Remus bit the inside of his cheek, tasting the blood from a wound, he’d probably made without thinking. Remus noted that the taste of blood was strangely addicting. “Oh, that _definitely_ sounds like something Virgil would do.” Deceit murmured sarcastically.

“He did!” Remus clarified.

Remus felt Deceit leaning slightly closer. “Do you know anything else of their relation?”

“They seem close.” Remus stated, watching how their horses were riding next to each other, “Virgil follows him around, like some puppy. It’s not a good look on him.”

Remus opened one of his eyes discreetly, watching as Dee stared at the cracked wall in Remus’ room. The crack was an aesthetical choice, though also the product of a fun afternoon of morning-star-testing. The second Deceit looked at Remus, the sorcerer’s left eye had a faint yellow glow. Remus focused on the traveling group again. “Anything else worth noting?” Deceit asked, nonchalantly.

“Logan, the one with the robe and spectacles.” Remus said, “He found this… Shard.”

“What kind of shard?” Dee asked.

“It’s dark… Magical…” Remus tried. All three eyes were flying far up in the sky, as there were no longer any good hiding spots nearby. He couldn’t get a good look at the shard again, so he had to work it out from his memory. “It reminds me of… Something.”

“That’s not vague _at all_.” Deceit said, only partially annoyed.

“It’s made of this weird, glass-like material.” Remus continued, “Virgil looked like he _hated_ it. As if he’d rather just shove it up some-“

“Does it look crystallic?” Dee suddenly asked.

“I mean, a bit?” Remus said.

“Is it evenly shaped?”

“Hmm… No!” Remus declared.

“Dark, powerful, vaguely crystallic, uneven and Virgil is uncomfortable with it, you say?” Dee asked.

“Yeah, that!”

“Interesting…” Dee murmured.

“Why? What’d you figure out, DeeDee?” Remus briefly opened both of his eyes but closed one of them again very quickly, only momentarily losing control.

Deceit was smirking, though there was something similar to concern hidden underneath. Remus didn’t consider it too much. Deceit was always a bit hard to read anyway, and he wouldn’t get much more information by interrogating him about it. “I think it might be related to our little… Project.” he licked his lips, “I’d like to inspect the shard. Get a closer look.”

“Well you can’t look through _my_ eye-bats.” Remus said, being both logically right, but also sounding a bit possessive.

“Oh, I know, darling.” Deceit said with a sigh, “Making another link like that would be too risky for now anyway. You can continue to play with your toys.”

Deceit looked at Remus with a small smile, making Remus feel slightly proud of himself. “They’re gorgeous don’t you think?” Remus asked, beaming.

Dee moved closer, placing a single hand on Remus’ shoulder, massaging it gently and staring at the open eye. “They look _awful_ , Remus.” Dee said, in a tone that let Remus know, that either the negatively loaded adjective was a compliment, or Deceit was being sarcastic, both of which were equally pleasing.

Remus chuckled. Dee let go of Remus, looking at the wall once again. He pushed himself up from the floor, standing tall with a lifted chin. “Keep an eye on them until-“

“ _Eyes_.” Remus corrected.

Deceit rolled his eyes and smirked. “Right. Keep some _eyes_ on them until they settle in for the night. We’re ready for the main strike soon.” Deceit adjusted his hat absentmindedly. “In the meantime,” he walked towards the door, and glanced back at Remus. “I’ll think of a way to get our hands on that _shard_ of theirs.”

Deceit exited the room, and with the flick of a hand, the door closed with a creak. Remus clenched his fists and caught himself biting the inside of his cheek again. He closed his eye, noticing that the travellers weren’t moving any further.

* * *

Roman had led them to a fairly beautiful, secluded area. After crossing an overgrown field, they’d heard the trickling sound of a river, running by a couple of loose rocks. It was slightly hidden by a couple of trees, though not enough to make it a forest. There was an old, wooden bridge resembling two individual wooden planks, clumsily thrown there several years ago, leading across.

After complimenting the spot, Patton had started to unfold the tents, made of linen, and lined with thin canvas. Logan started setting up one of the tents, receiving some help from Roman. Logan looked a bit displeased but accepted the help anyway. Virgil wasn’t really looking at anyone, focusing on removing some leaves on the ground to make room for the tents. “Is something bothering you, kiddo?” Patton asked.

Virgil looked a bit caught off guard as he looked at Patton but shook his head. “Nah. Just tired.”

Patton shrugged and smiled warmly. “That’s fine, but you can always tell me if something’s on your mind, alright?”

Virgil breathed. Then he nodded and continued to brush away leaves. Patton sighed. Sometimes he wished Virgil would open up a little more. He couldn’t blame anyone for having things they’d prefer not to talk about, but he could often tell, that Virgil was hurting because of it. It was clear that Virgil had been through a lot. It showed in the way he flinched upon most physical contact, and the way his eyes were always distant when he sat on his own. Patton was certain that if Virgil just opened up about _some of it_ , it would make it all a little more bearable.

They’d brought two tents since it was all they really had room for, and decided that Virgil would sleep in Patton’s tent, and that Logan and Roman would try to deal with one another for the night. As the sun set, Roman created a campfire, insisting on igniting it on his own with flint and a piece of iron instead of letting Patton assist, since it ‘suited the travelling adventurer aesthetic more’.

Soon, all four of them settled down in front of the campfire. Virgil sat next to Patton and Logan, who sat a bit further away. Roman sat between Logan and Patton. They served some rations for each of them, giving Virgil and Logan an extra portion. Patton sat cross legged on the ground, watching as each of their faces were illuminated by the fire. There was a certain intimacy to sitting around a campfire together. Somehow it made Patton nostalgic, though he couldn’t pinpoint an exact event he was feeling nostalgic about. The light wind swept the leaves over the ground, and Patton tightened his cape to stay warm. A part of him wanted to pull Virgil or anyone else closer to keep them warm too, but he figured it was uncalled for.

“Patton. You mentioned you knew king Thomas?” Roman said, breaking the natural silence.

Patton hadn’t expected the question. Well, he had expected it to come up eventually, but he had forgotten exactly how significant the fact might seem to others. “I do.” Patton said with a nod.

“May I ask how, exactly?” Roman asked, raising an eyebrow.

Patton shrugged. “It’s nothing special really.”

“It _is_ rather unique to be familiar with the king himself.” Logan said. It surprised Patton a little that Logan had joined in on the interrogation.

“He is just an old friend of mine.” Patton said, keeping his attention on the fire.

Roman chuckled, “How did you manage that?”

“I wouldn’t say it was a thing I _managed_ to do.” Patton mumbled. He sighed and smiled, as he glanced at the sky. “I met him in the middle of my Healer’s course. I was sent to the capital to try out the profession.” he tried to remember the details, “I noticed this man, perhaps two years younger than me, sitting on his own a bit outside the city.”

“What was the prince doing there?” Roman asked, with a skeptical look in his eyes.

“I suppose he was feeling a bit down.” Patton responded. He remembered the desperation in Thomas’ voice, as Patton encouraged the young man to let out a few of his worries. Patton sat down next to Thomas, with a warm smile and caring words. He remembered Thomas uttering concerns about living up to certain things, and a choked voice expressing memories of a loving father, who was no longer around. Patton listened to every word, nodding understandingly between each phrase. “I didn’t know he was a prince then. We talked for a while, perhaps a couple of hours.”

Roman exhaled through his nose, as if he couldn’t believe what Patton was saying. “You talked to a prince for _hours_ without learning he was a prince? How did you _not_ know what the prince looked like?”

“Well, yeah! I don’t know, I didn’t keep track of the royal family then.” Patton said, briefly looking at Roman. “We started meeting up in the same spot every day I was in the capital. It turned out he was sneaking off without being protected, and when he was picked up by a guard I kind of figured.” Patton wrapped the cape around himself, “We wrote letters to each other ever since.”

To Patton’s surprise, Virgil started chuckling. “That’s… That makes so much sense. Of course, that’s the way _you’d_ become friends with a _king_.”

Patton glanced at Logan who had a similar smile on his face. Patton wasn’t entirely sure how to interpret their reactions but was happy to see that they were all smiling.

Roman insisted that they all sung some campfire songs, to which Patton excitedly agreed, and Logan and Virgil went into their respective tents with exasperated sighs.

When they were done singing, Patton patted each of the horses goodnight (Flower tried to take a bite of his spectacles, but Patton knew the horse had friendly intentions) and stepped through the linen opening in the tent.

The tent wasn’t very big. Patton couldn’t stand up inside it, but there was space enough to let two people sleep about two feet from each other. Virgil wasn’t sleeping, which wasn’t very surprising. He’d wrapped himself up in a black blanket Patton had brought along, lying down on a canvas bedroll, looking tiredly at Patton as he entered. “Are you done with that singing? It’s impossible to get _any_ sleep with all that noise.”

A part of Patton thought ‘You have a hard time sleeping either way.’ but decided not to say it. It wouldn’t have been a spiteful comment but could easily be interpreted as such. Patton noticed that Virgil’s hood was still placed firmly over Virgil’s head. “We’re done.” Patton said. He prepared his own bedroll and a dark blue blanket and sat down. “You know…” he looked at Virgil with an almost apologetic smile, “You don’t have to wear your hood in here. They won’t come inside.”

Virgil glanced at Patton, doubtful and a bit scared. He looked at the tent opening, as if someone could step inside any moment. Virgil bit his lip. “They might.”

“They won’t.” Patton repeated, holding his own blanket close.

“What if they-“

“Virgil, I’ll make sure they don’t. I’m sure I’ll wake before any of them anyway.” he smiled hesitantly at Virgil, “Come on. It looks uncomfortable.”

“I’m used to it.” Virgil said, sounding a little desperate, “Patton if they see I’ll… I’ll…”

“Why would they even walk into our tent? I’m sure they have _some_ respect for our privacy.” Patton continued.

“I can think of a few reasons.” Virgil mumbled, looking away.

Patton laid down on the bedroll, glancing at Virgil who wasn’t looking back. “You don’t have to, but if it’s bothering you at all it won’t hurt. I promise. It’s up to you.”

Patton heard a sigh from Virgil. He wasn’t sure if it was relief, doubt, apprehension or some form of resignation. Virgil looked in the opposite direction of Patton, staring at one side of the tent. He looked at the opening once more, took a deep breath and slowly removed his hood, leaving it in a loose position.

By the previously concealed edges of Virgil’s cheek, the pale skin transformed into a dark grey, that ran in rootlike veins to the ears. It seemed to consume the expected shape and colour of them, veiling them in a shape that was just a little too thick, and a little too sharp by their ends. Patton was actually quite fond of them. He’d been a bit surprised the first time he’d seen, but despite their uncommon appearance in the main parts of the kingdom, they suited Virgil quite well. They moved around more easily than the ears Patton more commonly saw on a daily basis, twitching slightly at sudden noises.

Virgil rarely showed them. Greyish mutations like it, usually occurred by the outskirts of the kingdom among people one rarely saw around most parts. In fact, it was not uncommon to live your entire life without meeting anyone from there. Some argued, they didn’t even truly live in the kingdom. They had their own form of leadership, actively dismissing the commonly accepted authorities. Of course, they were still _formally_ a part of the kingdom. Patton remembered learning the history of several conflicts. Usually the people from the outskirts left the rest of the kingdom alone, and the other way around. There was, however, always tension between them, and if the right opportunity should appear, Patton feared they’d be on the verge of war.

Virgil had told Patton about how he was apparently left behind in a random town in the kingdom as a child, growing up at a local orphanage. There, he felt forced to hide his traits from the public at an early age. Virgil had no real relation to the people from the outskirts, and he didn’t want people to think so either. Perhaps the fear wasn’t entirely unjustified, due to the strained history, and that yet ongoing conflict surrounding the Mindsphere, which Patton didn’t know all the details about.

Virgil moved a bag on the ground near his face, presumably to hide himself a little, and uttered a quick “I’ll put it back on if it gets cold.” before he laid down in a position, that made it impossible to see his face.

With a sigh, Patton looked at the top of the tent. His eyes were fixed on a single fold in the right corner. It reminded Patton of a leaf one would pick out of boredom and release mid-air, to watch it drift away. The image made him feel a little less tense. His body was sore from the hectic day, and he hoped they would be faced with a simpler one in the morning. Slowly, he allowed his eyes to close, listening to the river outside. At least everyone was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I steal eye-bats from Gravity Falls? Partially. It was unintentional at first but I realized like 5 minutes into writing the first bit.  
> I can't quite figure out if its too extra or extremely in character to make Deceit wear a cavalier hat, but it seemed right in my head so now I'm just rolling with it.
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments so far! There is nothing more motivating than opening one's computer in the morning and see one. I appreciate it a ton. Kudos never fail to make my day either. Thank you :)
> 
> You can find me on my tumblr sideblog: https://dramaticsnakes.tumblr.com/


	5. Appropriate detours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for tuning in to this chapter! The most recent Sanders Sides episode was wonderful, wasn't it? 
> 
> I would like to sincerely thank A Random Thing for beta-reading this chapter and helping me fix a bunch of my strange sentences! I am incredibly grateful.
> 
> Tw: Giant spider monster, monster death, death mention, dead animal mention. As usual, let me know if there is something specific you'd like me to warn about.

Deceit was walking through a dark and lonely forest, only hearing his own steps and crickets chirping in the dead of night (or the early morning, depending on one’s perspective). The moon would disappear from the sky after a few hours, and Deceit was determined to get a bit of preparation done beforehand. A soft leather bag, had been tossed over his shoulder, hanging drowsily from his back as he wandered through the uneven terrain. The cold night air made him shiver every now and again, but he didn’t let his prideful posture suffer from it. He’d managed to sleep for a little while before heading out, though he didn’t feel that well-rested. It hardly mattered, anyway. He had a goal in mind.

A branch that was thin and placed a great deal lower than anticipated, poked Deceit in his left eye. He cursed under his breath, appreciating that no one was around for the time being. The silhouette of the wooden cottage became visible by some messy bushes. Deceit approached, each detail becoming clearer as he did so. The cottage was small, clearly not housing more than a single person. The wood appeared dark in the night, and the roof looked somewhat bumpy. Two windows were crudely placed on each side of the door, that seemed to have been sloppily painted black. The entire thing looked simultaneously rushed and old, as if the person who built it had intended to renovate it once they had the chance, but never got around to it.

Deceit was soon standing in front of the door, preparing a characteristic smile, before knocking. The wood was rough and not very comfortable to the touch. A few moments passed, before Deceit heard the languid steps inside. The door opened inwards, revealing a seemingly young man. He was an inch shorter than Deceit, and wore a long, black coat that went all the way down to the top of his extravagant leather boots. Underneath it, there was a greyish white shirt, that went down just enough by the neck, to highlight the visible part of his cool beige skin by the cravat of the coat. His eyes were a deep void-like black. His light brown, soft-looking hair was a little longer than Deceit’s, and there were purple undertones by the edges. He had characteristic kingdom-ears, contrary to Deceit’s own, and wore a pair of brown gloves.

Once the man noticed Deceit, his expression dropped, as if Deceit was the dullest thing he’d seen in ages. “Oh. It’s you.” he said.

“Remy!” Deceit cooed, with a smirk, “Pleasure as always.”

Remy rolled his eyes. “What is it this time, honey?” Deceit was about to respond before Remy interrupted again with a groan, “Never mind. It’s always the same thing…”

“May I come in?” Deceit asked.

Remy sighed, and stepped to the side. “You know, you’re _lucky_ I’m actually home when you decide to take advantage of me for your convenience.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” Deceit said, with a half-hearted shrug, as he entered the cottage.

The inside looked a little less rushed than the outside. The wooden floorboards were partially covered by a purple carpet. In the right corner there was a half-finished painting. There was a bookcase with a few books, some dustier than others, by the middle wall, and a small fireplace to the right. There were two tables, one by a comfortable-looking bed with too many pillows and blankets, and one near the fireplace with a few seemingly random objects on it; Three different masks, two eye-patches, scattered pens and papers, a bowl, and a cup. There was a single chair by the table. By the end of the bed, there was a half-open closet, with different types of clothing inside. Remy looked at Deceit impatiently. “I don’t suppose you intend to bother me without bringing _something_?” he asked.

“Right, right.” Deceit said, slinging his bag into his hands. He rummaged through some fabrics and grabbed a big leather flask with a scarf wrapped around it. It was still warm, as he handed it to a skeptical Remy. “Homebrewed and everything.” Deceit said with a wink. Remy opened the flask and whiffed its contents, before walking to the table and pouring the brown beverage into the cup. Steam rose from it, and a spicy, earthy smell filled the air. Remy grabbed the cup and sipped it gently, after which he chugged the entire thing impressively.

“Not bad, _Hidden One_.” Remy mumbled. The title was uttered without the slightest bit of respect, despite its esteemed reputation. He wiped the left-over beverage from his mouth with the back of his hand. “Now, where are you headed? I don’t have all night.”

“We both know you do.” Deceit said, rolling his eyes, and putting his bag back in its place.

Remy chuckled flatly. “I don’t work for you, sweetheart. It’s not my responsibility, that you’re too lazy to travel traditionally.”

“Oh, because it’s _definitely_ about laziness.” Deceit said sarcastically, “It’s not like it’s more efficient this way.”

“Yeah, you’re in a _hurry_ or whatever.” Remy yawned and snorted, “Look, whatever pretentious doomed-to-fail project _you’re_ working on, I don’t have anything to do with it. Just tell me where you’re going, so we can get this over with.”

Remy was an annoying individual, but Deceit was used to dealing with him. He was a valuable asset, even if he insisted, he wasn’t taking any sides. Deceit pursed his lips, walked to Remy’s bed and sat down on the soft surface. The bed was incredibly comfortable. “I need to be transported near Virgil.”

Remy almost looked amused. “Still not over that, huh? Look Dee, he is not coming back-”

“ _I know that,_ and it’s _none of your business_.” Deceit hissed. He recomposed himself, “It’s been months now.” _Two months and 17 days,_ “Besides this isn’t about that.”

“Passage of time? Wouldn’t know anything about that.” Remy said, turning around to look through the papers on his desk. “Whatever honey, suit yourself.”

“I’m not the one staying in the woods, doing nothing for years, wallowing in my own self-pity.” Deceit murmured, leaning against the wall and staring at his hand, as if it was a much more interesting sight than anything in the room.

“Bitch, I have no pity.” Remy said, “Certainly not for myself.”

“Oh _, of course,_ you don’t…” Deceit whispered, almost too silent for anyone to hear.

“That associate of yours came by recently. Did you send him?” Remy asked absentmindedly.

Deceit looked up at the question. “Remus? Why, I suppose I did.”

“Is he coming back any time soon?” Remy asked, walking towards the bed, removing his gloves one by one. The hands glowed with a powerful blueish white light, and Deceit had to look away to avoid hurting his eyes.

“He might.” Deceit said, “Why?”

Remy shrugged. “I don’t know. I find him pretty amusing. He brought me a dead rat last time.”

Deceit had no trouble imagining that. He wanted to smile, but was somewhat discouraged, since Remy didn’t appear bothered by it. “Did he, now?”

“Lie down.” Remy commanded. Deceit didn’t like the way Remy said it and waited a few moments before doing as he was told out of spite. Remy gave him a glare. Drowsily, Deceit stretched his body and allowed himself to fall backwards down on the bed, placing each arm by his sides. Remy rolled his eyes, partially annoyed, but there was some level of fondness underneath. “Did Effi teach you to do that?”

Deceit stiffened slightly. There was a feeling in his stomach he didn't want to fully experience. For a moment, it was as if a good portion of his power was gone. He felt small. Insignificant. Then he decided that it didn’t bother him to hear Remy say that name. Not in the slightest. “Efficacy died 12 years ago, darling.”

There was a momentary expression of re-evaluation on the other man’s face, but it was quickly replaced with a nonchalant one. “Well, most people are dead, honey. Doesn’t mean they can’t have taught you anything.”

Deceit shrugged as he was lying down, avoiding Remy’s eyes. “I never said she didn’t.”

“Can you specify where you’re going?” Remy asked, clearly focusing on his already glowing hand. “I don’t suppose you want to be transported directly on top of Virgil?”

Deceit licked his teeth thoughtfully, before saying what he’d gathered from Remus’ unfocused explanations. “There should be a couple of tents there. Somewhere near a river I believe. Not too far from Penzivi lake.”

“Right.” Remy said, his eyes becoming blank and darker, as if liquid was flowing within the pupils. “How long?”

“24 hours will suffice.”

* * *

Logan had been partially awake for a while before he heard a scream outside the tent. He jolted and reached for his spectacles next to the bedroll. A few disoriented moments passed, before he grabbed them and put them on. He looked to his left, trying to spot Roman, but saw nothing but an empty bedroll and a half-folded blanket. Had Logan really been asleep for that long?

“Do not worry! I will destroy the vile creature!” a dramatic voice outside announced. Logan recognized it as Roman. He tried to analyse the tone to figure out how serious of a situation it was. Had the scream sounded serious? Why would a scream not be serious? Logan fixed his clothing quickly and peeked out of the tent.

By the leftovers of the campfire, Patton was sitting in a somewhat defensive position, looking astonished. Roman was standing proudly near Patton’s tent, with a branch in his hand, having just stabbed it towards the ground. Virgil was standing between them, a few steps away from the scene, confused if not a bit amused. “I-is it gone?” Patton asked.

Roman sent Patton a noble and proud smile, letting go of the branch, letting it fall to the ground, just barely missing Roman’s foot. “It is indeed.” 

Patton’s expression changed into a thankful one in an instant, as Patton got back on his feet. “Oh, thank goodness.”

Logan lifted an eyebrow. “What is going on out here?”

Patton looked at Logan with a serious glare, that wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. “There was a… Creepy crawly death dealer.”

That particular phrase caused Virgil to scoff with supressed laughter in the back. “A… A what?” Logan asked. He thought about the phrase for a moment. Something figuratively dawned upon him. “Hold on. Isn’t that what you used to call…?”

“A spider.” Roman finished, causing a visible shiver from Patton, “There was a spider inside of Patton’s tent.”

“Roman saved me!” Patton said, with a thankful smile. Patton walked a bit closer to Roman and embraced him in a sudden yet surprisingly natural motion. Roman didn’t look like he had been expecting it, but eased into it rather quickly, giving Patton and awkward pat.

“Did you just give me a…” Patton started with somewhat a mischievous expression, as he drew himself away from the hug, “ _Patton_ the back!”

Logan thought about the words before figuratively freezing. “Was that a self-referential pun?”

Patton shrugged. “It might’ve been.”

Logan groaned. He remembered Patton’s puns all too well. Virgil snickered. “You know, I could’ve gotten rid of the spider too, Patton.”

Patton looked at Virgil. “I am sure you could kiddo!” he said, with a tone that was partially excited but also displayed a certain amount of fear at the notion.

Roman switched his attention from Patton to Logan “We were just about to wake you up so that we could pack up and get going. We shouldn’t stay here for long. We wouldn’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere once it gets dark again.”

Logan adjusted his spectacles. “Of course. That is a given.” he mumbled. It wasn’t that Logan hadn’t known that. He certainly hoped no one thought he had a tendency to sleep in. “I am not certain what came over me. I usually rise early.” he decided to inform.

Patton sent Logan a caring smile. “You had a rough day yesterday. We all did.”

Logan didn’t really know what to make of the sentiment, but there was logic to Patton’s words. It wasn’t new information that a difficult day usually required more rest. “You are correct.”

Virgil had already started to pack up a tent but was struggling with one side of it. Logan decided to walk over there to assist him. Patton and Roman started working on the other tent. Logan and Virgil managed to complete the procedure first, since they hadn’t gotten as easily distracted by an apparently very colourful bug on the ground. Logan would comment on the irony of the fact Patton disliked spiders, remaining unbothered by other seemingly similar creatures (while there were significant differences, which Logan briefly summarized to himself), but decided against it. Instead, Logan started clearing the remains of the fire. It was always customary to leave a campsite seemingly untouched after use.

Logan and Virgil didn’t say much to each other but shared a few looks and short sentences for practical reasons. There was some kind of mutual understanding between them, after their journey through the Penzivi lake passageway. It was nice. Patton filled up some flasks with water from the river

They all saddled up their horses, who seemed content after the night of rest, and continued onwards.

* * *

Deceit watched the people Virgil was hanging around and wasn’t particularly impressed. They seemed… Dull… Simple… Easy to figure out, even from a few exchanges. There was the one in the white tunic, wearing a piece of red cloth around his waist, with brown eyes and light brown skin. He seemed dramatic, and he’d overheard him reference a story he had improvised the other day. A pretentious one. There was the one with the spectacles, light beige skin and a dark robe, who seemed to be eloquent in the most annoying ways, and logical beyond reason (if that was even a statement you could make). Then there was the last unfamiliar man.

Now, that was the one who had hugged Virgil wasn’t it? Blue cape, blue tunic, spectacles, bronze skin and brown eyes. As Deceit squinted, he noticed a few freckles upon the nose. ‘Oh, how _cute’_ he remarked to himself sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. The man was filled with a certain bubbly energy, that made Deceit groan at the mere sight. He seemed affectionate, trusting, positive… _Naïve_. Deceit made sure to remember his observations. It was possible that they would be useful soon enough.

Deceit watched Virgil’s somewhat fond expression. Oh, so he was enjoying himself, was he? _Wonderful_. Deceit pursed his lips and clenched his gloved fist as he disappeared behind some trees once again.

* * *

Roman breathed in the early morning air. They were riding across a fairly empty landscape, that Roman had passed a few times in his life. He hadn’t encountered many dangers there, but it was always hard to tell for sure. The towns in the Kingdom were oftentimes safe and protected with some form of magic, but once you were in the wild, traveling from place to place, it was a little more unpredictable than that. One day, when he had been traveling on his own, he had encountered a small chimera in a place he would otherwise have considered safe. He’d managed to chase it off on his own. Unfortunately, no one had been around to see. Of course, it didn’t matter. It had still been an impressive achievement. He’d written a poem about it, that he wasn’t very proud of, which was stuck on a page in one of his countless notebooks. Maybe it hadn’t been _that_ impressive. There wasn’t much at risk anyway.

Virgil was writing next to Roman, his head placed under his hood, looking forward without many emotions showing in his face. Why did Virgil always wear that hood? Certainly, Roman wasn’t terrible for being a little bit suspicious at the choice of attire? Dark, mysterious and hooded weren’t exactly terms he’d assign to a trustworthy person. “So, Virgil…” Roman tried.

“Yes, Princey?” Virgil said, a layer of spite underneath.

Roman wasn’t sure if he was insulted by the new name or not, but he figured that Virgil probably intended for it to be at least a little hurtful. Roman took a deep breath, not certain he wanted to say the words that came next. “I wanted to… apologize.” he said, urging himself to mean it, “I shouldn’t have gotten so angry at you the other day. It was… uncalled for.”

Virgil made eye contact with Roman, with a skeptical, maybe reproachful look. “Alright.” he said, though there wasn’t really a hint of forgiveness. Roman narrowed his eyes a bit. Virgil rolled his eyes and looked away again. “You know… You don’t have to try to be nice to me, Princey.”

Roman looked at Majesty, patting her side. He bit his lip. “What are you implying?”

“I’m not stupid. Patton probably told you to be nice to me saying something like ‘he means well’ or ‘he can’t help it’ didn’t he?” Virgil said. There was something forced yet determined about the words. Roman wasn’t sure what to reply, which Virgil took as confirmation. Virgil sighed. “Look, you don’t have to trust me or treat me with some fake respect just because we’re travelling together. You think I’m untrustworthy, and that’s fine. Heck, I don’t exactly like you either.” he sighed deeply and looked at Roman with a half-hearted glare, “Let’s just leave it at that, alright?”

Roman was a bit surprised. It was the first time he’d heard Virgil say that many words directed at him. The tone was definite, and as much as a part of Roman wanted to disagree for the sake of it, there really wasn’t much to it. Virgil wasn’t wrong. “I… Well… I guess that…”

“Good.” Virgil said as if Roman’s words had been anything near confident. He looked ahead, to make sure neither Patton nor Logan had been listening. Neither of them said anything after that. The conversation was over, and it bothered Roman that Virgil had managed to get the last word.

As the group continued ahead, Roman heard a sudden gasp from Patton. “Lo, do you see that?” he asked, an underlying dread in his voice. Roman and Virgil looked up at the same time, to find out what had caught Patton’s attention. Roman squinted, as he saw something in the distance. It seemed to be a person lying on the ground, struggling in some way.

“I do.” Logan stated. Patton looked back towards Roman and Virgil, before tapping his heels against Flower, and galloping a little faster towards the figure. Roman did the same, and the other two followed soon after.

The figure became clearer and clearer as they approached. The person was lying on his back, appearing to be reaching for a nearby shrub. He had bushy black hair, green eyes and wore a beige tunic with a leather vest. He turned his head towards the group, and Roman caught a flash of fear in his eyes. Patton gently urged Flower to stop, jumping off his horse immediately. “Are you alright?” he asked. Roman remarked, that Patton didn’t sound panicked. There was a unique professional sort of worrying in his words.

The person on the ground breathed heavily and tried to sit up. He flinched, looking at Patton. “I… I appear to be having some issues. I-if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, sir, could you lend me a hand?”

Patton raised his eyebrows. “Of course! It’s no trouble at all!”

“Thank you.” the unknown man said with a relieved sigh.

Patton kneeled **,** inspecting the person. “Does it hurt anywhere?”

The man tried to move again and flinched. “M-my lower leg. I was- I was traveling with my cart, when I was attacked and bitten by- by…“ he struggled with the words.

“It’s alright!” Patton said, “You don’t have to say right away. May I take a look?”

The man looked surprised for a moment. Then he nodded. Patton sent the man a calming smile, and gently cuffed the pants. Roman watched as a bite of sorts was revealed. It was a wound, covering a large part of the calf. There were bite marks, creating small holes in the skin. The area around them was swollen, with a pinkish red. Patton gasped. “That looks bad.” he said, “No wonder you have a hard time standing.”

The man almost looked ashamed. “Ah yes. You really don’t have to worry, sir. I-I’ll find a way to get it treated. If you could just help me get up-“

“No, no. That’s out of the question. You need some sort of healing before you try to stand.” Patton said in a tone that was unfamiliarly professional, but with genuine care underneath, “If you don’t mind, I can treat it. At least enough for you to get to the nearest town without hurting yourself in the process.”

The man looked at his leg, then Patton, then the three men on the horses, who merely watched the scene unfold. “I really wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.” the man said.

“It wouldn’t be an inconvenience at all. I have equipment for it.” Patton said. Roman caught a hint of pride in the healer’s eyes.

The man chuckled. “I suppose I cannot argue with that.” He awkwardly reached for Patton’s hand, “Elam Fidelio.”

Patton shook Elam’s hand with a smile. “Patton Corwinson.”

“If you don’t mind me asking.” Roman said, suddenly directing everyone’s attention towards him. “What was it that bit you?”

Elam’s eyes widened with something resembling fear. “It was… It was a magranea.” Roman noticed Patton tremble at the words, “It… It has my cart! Gah… So many of my belongings. I don’t know what to do...”

“Creepy crawly death dealer…” Patton whispered to himself. Roman thought about the creature. Large spider-like, hairy beasts with too many eyes and eight legs. That was strange. Magraneas usually stayed out of the way, hiding in caves in unpopulated places.

“A magranea?” Logan asked, voicing Roman’s surprise, “Those haven’t been seen around these parts for eight years and seven months!”

“You keep track of that?” Roman asked.

Patton looked at the forest, breathing heavily, “I-is it nearby?”

“It disappeared into the forest again after the attack, but… There’s no way to tell.”

Roman’s head jerked up. “You said it has your belongings?”

“Y-yes.” Elam stuttered, “I don’t know what got into it. I suppose we did receive a warning from the King that monsters were behaving… Strangely. But I got reckless… I-I didn’t know that a creature like _that_ would just attack me out of nowhere.” He facepalmed with clear frustration.

Patton looked bothered. “W-we were attacked by a pack of hostile wolves yesterday. It’s an odd situation for sure.” he said, keeping up the sympathetic tone even behind the fear. If Patton couldn’t handle the tiny spider that had appeared in the tent in the morning, a magranea would be an overwhelming creature to process. Roman had seen pictures of some before. He figured its behaviour would be somewhat similar to the creature they had encountered in the tavern.

“I was on my way to my hometown. I’m a traveling salesman. I was going home to my family.” Elam said. The last sentence was punctuated with some sort of worried hesitation.

Roman thought about the idea of a magranea lurking in the forest, holding on to the salesman’s belongings. He thought about heroic, noble deeds and the fear in Elam’s voice. “What if… What if we got the belongings back?” Roman heard his own voice say.

Patton’s head jerked up, looking utterly terrified. “ _What_?” he said.

”If Patton is going to stay here and heal this man, what is the point in the rest of us standing around, doing nothing?” Roman asked, unable to keep himself from saying what he was saying.

“I really couldn’t ask you to do that…” Elam said, “I’ll find a way to get some new supplies. The financial problems and such won't be a problem to anyone but my family and I.”

Roman looked at Logan and Virgil. Virgil was staring at the scene unfolding. Logan gave some of the supplies on his horse a protective look, before looking at Elam Fidelio again. “It wouldn’t be a problem.” Roman said, feeling a certain unplaceable desperation building up inside him. “At least, _I_ wouldn’t mind giving it a try.”

Elam chuckled and gave Roman a weak smile. “You’re a noble one, but I do not think it’s wise to take on a magranea on your own.”

“It isn’t.” Logan confirmed effortlessly, “Magraneas can be very difficult to deal with.”

Roman noticed that Patton’s fists were clenched, “Uhm… I…” he looked at his travelling companions, swallowing something as he stumbled over the words, “Well, if you want to go fight that… _thing_ , I… I suppose I won’t stop you.”

“I missed the part where we all agreed to that?” Virgil said, in a tone that was difficult to read. Roman bit his lip, something aching in his gut.

“We have not.” Logan confirmed needlessly, “It would be quite a foolish decision to be frank.” after a moment Logan added, “However, I have not personally seen a magranea up close before…”

“Uhm, exactly! We can slay the beast for justice! And science!” Roman said dramatically, pleased that not everyone was opposed to the idea. Just a moment away from adventure. From rescuing a person in need.

Elam smiled warmly, “You’re all too kind. You’d make some wonderful heroes.”

Patton glanced at Virgil, who was tapping his finger against Thunder’s back. “Is it safe?” Patton asked, seemingly directed at Logan.

“Depends.” Logan said, “It is never truly safe to face a monster, but if we are prepared and secure an escape route, we should be able to minimize the risk.”

“It’s quite a big one. I think you’d need as many people as possible.” Elam suddenly said. Virgil looked at him, with a raised eyebrow. “I wish I was in a condition to help…” Elam added.

“Virgil, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to-“ Patton tried, in an almost desperate tone.

Virgil glanced at Patton for a moment, before looking at Thunder again. “I don’t mind going. I’m not afraid of spiders.”

Elam suddenly snickered, “It’s a bit more than _just_ a spider.”

“It’s a vastly different species, when you take the proportions into account.” Logan confirmed.

“Yes, yes I know.” Virgil said, “But I still don’t mind.”

Roman and Virgil exchanged a look _,_ and Roman wondered exactly what Virgil’s reasons behind going were. Was it part of some plan to show Roman’s incompetence? Was it because of Logan? Was it to prove something to Patton? To himself? Why did it matter to Roman in the first place? Patton looked at the ground, visibly uncomfortable. He looked at Elam, Roman, Logan and Virgil individually. “Take care of yourselves out there. Please don’t let it get too close. The _second_ it gets dangerous-“

“We’ll get out of there.” Virgil said, “Fight or flight.”

* * *

Patton watched his friends disappear into the forest, with a wistful sound of dismay. _Please be safe._ Patton was often one to look at the positives in any given situation, but it was difficult for him to find something inherently positive about going off to fight an oversized death-dealer with a venomous bite. Now, of course, he wasn’t going to stop them from doing a good deed for the poor man on the ground. If they could somehow help get the belongings back, they should. Shouldn’t they? Patton wrinkled his nose, before allowing a soft expression to appear. He turned to Elam. “Stay still. We’ll get your leg fixed up in a jiffy.”

Elam sighed with a soft and apologetic smile. “I really can’t thank you enough for this. I’ll have to find some way to repay you.”

Patton chuckled. “Oh, it’s not a problem! No one needs a reward for helping others.”

Elam paused and licked his bottom lip thoughtfully. “Many would say that, but few people truly mean it.”

“Well, it’s the right thing to do.” Patton stated confidently. He walked to Flower and rummaged through the bag. He had some surplus herbs for that sort of treatment somewhere…

“Oh, I am sure it is.” Elam said, sounding a bit uncertain at first, but it was soon replaced by a warm smile, “It’s always great to meet caring people, like you.”

Patton found some bandages and a jar of luchiomine herbs. Not perfect, but they would work for the time being. He approached Elam, who was lying patiently, with one arm languidly stretched out to the side, as he had given up on reaching for the shrub. He didn’t appear to be resisting the treatment, nor did he seem to fear it. Maybe there was some mild nervousness hidden somewhere, but he seemed to accept the entire situation professionally. Patton kneeled beside him. “I’m just going to cast a healing spell to remove as much venom as possible.” he said. He’d learned that it was helpful to narrate your actions when treating people.

Elam nodded. “Whatever you have to do, sir.”

Patton took a deep breath and focused his energy in the palm of his hand. It settled like thick strings, made of soft, well-combed fur. He let his hand hover over the bite, flinching a bit at the sight of it. It wasn’t the bite that was the problem, though it did hurt Patton to see someone in pain. It was rather the thought of the eight-legged creature, his friends were about to face, and how it had been so close to his patient. Patton took another deep breath, and the energy started flowing through his hand, and appearing in shiny, light blue curls. They fell down towards the wound in a mesmerizing pattern. At first, Elam flinched. Then he stared at it with some hesitance, as if it made his mind travel elsewhere. The expression eased up each second. Elam moved some of the messy dark hair away from his face.

“You know, I don’t believe I asked, but I assume you are a healer?” Elam uttered.

“Oh, I didn’t say, did I?” Patton giggled, “Yeah, I am.”

Elam smiled. “I don’t know much about healing magic or well, magic in general, but that felt pretty impressive.”

Patton prepared the luchiomine herbs, crushing some of them in his hand and cleaning them with water from a flask. “Thank you.” he said sincerely. He was always a bit surprised when people suggested he was particularly good at his magic. He didn’t see himself as particularly talented in his field, and he wasn’t sure what he was being compared to. It made him feel good, nonetheless. Practical healing magic was one of the few things he’d excelled at in school.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what brings you out here? It is quite a risky journey these days.” he half-jokingly gestured to himself and his condition, “I should know.”

“They need healers in the capital. I _bite_ as well be one of them.” Patton said with a hum. Elam snickered, which made Patton smile contently. He placed some of the crushed herbs on the wound and Elam immediately flinched. “Does it hurt?”

Elam bit his lip. “If I said it didn’t I’d be _spinning_.”

Patton gasped and giggled right away. Arachnids weren’t good for much, but at least you could get a few puns out of them. “Good one.” he said, as he gently pressed the herbs down on the wound, trying his best to make the process as painless as possible. If only he had a few Tranquility leaves left. “I apologize.”

“It’s all good.” Elam said, “How about the rest of your group? Why are they going to the capital?”

“Logan is-“ Patton interrupted himself. Elam didn’t know any of them, “That’s the one with the spectacles. He wants a job in the capital.”

“Which job?” Elam asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Researcher I think.”

“Oh my. You’d have to be quite skilled to get a job like that.” Elam remarked.

“I’m not entirely sure about Roman… The one with the white tunic? As far as I am aware, he went with Logan for the adventure’s sake.”

Elam looked at the sky thoughtfully. “And what about that last one?”

“Ah well Virgil…” Patton thought about the question for a bit, “He just sort of travels with me at the moment.”

“Huh. Curious. Where’d you meet him?”

Patton felt some nervousness creep up on him. It really wasn’t his place to answer questions regarding Virgil. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“Oh, I apologize. I didn’t mean to pry.” Elam said, politely.

“No, no, you’re not prying.” Patton said. Elam wasn’t necessarily prying. Patton simply feared it was a sensitive subject for Virgil.

“It’s quite alright.” Elam said with a smile. Patton grabbed a piece of cloth and poured water on it, cleaning the wound. Elam flinched once again.

“What about you?” Patton asked curiously as he worked. He wanted to keep the friendly conversation going. Elam seemed nice. “You mentioned you had a family?”

“I do.” Elam nodded, “I have a husband. His name is Eddie. Oh, and the most wonderful daughter. You know, I think she wants to be a healer when she grows up. I’ve been trying to keep up with the magic books she reads but it’s all quite complicated to me.”

“She sounds amazing!” Patton said. He meant it. He could feel Elam’s excitement when it came to the subject. “I bet she’d make a great healer.”

“Oh, I am sure she would.” Elam said with a wistful sigh, “I can’t wait to get home to both of them.”

“You will soon.” Patton said reassuringly. “I’m just going to cast another healing spell.”

Elam nodded. Patton focused the energy, and gently placed his hand above the leg. The spell came out in nearly transparent waves. This time, Elam didn’t bat an eye. Once the spell was complete, Patton grabbed some bandages, and started wrapping them around the calf. “By the way…” Elam said.

“Hm?”

“You haven’t seen a strange shard lying around here somewhere, have you?” Elam asked cautiously.

The shard. Patton glanced at Logan’s horse, Luna. “Why are you asking?”

“It’s just that, I was transporting this dark shard to my village. I think I lost it on the way. I got it from a sorcerer. An expert is supposed to look at it.”

A dark shard. It could very well be the shard Logan found. Perhaps that made sense. Logan had described it as out of place, lying somewhere in the forest. It would make sense that someone had placed it there. How else would Elam know about it. “Maybe? I think Logan has a shard of sorts. I am not sure if it is the one, you’re talking about.”

Elam perked up. “May I see it?”

“Uhm… I’m not sure?” Patton tried. Logan didn’t like it when people touched his things without asking, and he had seemed fairly taken aback by the shard’s magical power. Patton had felt it too. An undeniable appealing rush. “Logan has it. I think he’d prefer to handle it. You can probably talk about it once he gets back!”

“That does make sense, I suppose.” Elam said, chuckling lightly

* * *

Virgil followed Logan and Roman with cautious steps, clutching the pocket with his throwing knives, as if he required its presence to breathe. Roman was already holding his sword, dramatically walking in various combat positions. Logan was walking on Virgil’s left. Despite Logan’s lack of weapons, Virgil didn’t doubt that Logan’s knowledge would probably help them in the long run. Virgil could feel his ears twitching slightly, as he tried to scout out the sound of the magranea. He’d seen a magranea once in the Outskirts, but he hadn’t approached it. Someone else had. Despite that, Virgil hadn’t felt very frightened by it. It had been sleeping peacefully, and there was something rather adorable about it. Calming. Virgil doubted that whichever magranea they were about to face would make him feel calm. It had attacked that strange salesman after all. Was it for the same reason as the wolves? Something more sinister? Just as sinister? Virgil’s head was spinning (No pun intended) with conflicting thoughts and theories he wished he hadn’t come up with. A part deep within him had an inkling… A fear… A conviction, that he didn’t entirely want to commit to.

“Do any of you have _any_ idea where it is?” Roman asked.

“Obviously not, Roman. We’d say if we did.” Virgil snapped somewhat involuntarily.

“Well, how do you suggest we find it then, Rogue-pretender.”

“I have no clue, and neither do you.” Virgil retorted.

“How about you Logan?” Roman asked, directing his attention at the researcher, as if Virgil no longer existed, “Can’t you use some sort of magic? Like… Teleporting us there?”

Logan narrowed his eyes. “Teleportation requires extensive visual knowledge of a location, preferably a visible one, and generally only works short-range.”

“Fine, fine, I didn’t mean it _that_ literally.” Roman said, as he continued to walk, “But there must be some way to detect it?”

“I suppose.” Logan shrugged. He looked around the forest, not acting particularly interested in casting any spells at that point in time. “Either way I think we should focus on making a plan.” Logan’s eyes fell upon a birch and tilted his head slightly. “Look.”

Virgil and Roman both looked at the birch. At first, Virgil didn’t see anything, but as he gave each branch a closer look, he noticed a thin, silky white line drawn across it, splitting into several sections. A web. “Huh. It must be close.” Roman whispered, becoming more on guard.

“Not necessarily.” Logan mumbled. He walked closer to the tree. Roman followed close by. Virgil walked a bit slower. Logan adjusted his spectacles near the branch. The web was much more visible up close. Each thread was thicker than the average spider-thread, and probably even more difficult to tear apart. Dewdrops in the web reflected the light from the sun that managed to shine through the treetops. “It’s fascinating.” Logan uttered, spellbound. His fingers were trembling. “Don’t touch it though. It might alert the magranea.” Virgil had a sneaking suspicion, that Logan was trying to remind himself more than anyone else.

“Do we… Follow it?” Roman suggested.

Logan followed the web with his eyes. Virgil did the same. It seemed to go on for a little while. Logan nodded, and started absentmindedly walking ahead. Virgil thought it was a bit reckless, considering the fact that Logan was the only one of them without a physical weapon. Virgil kept listening. There had to be a sign of something moving somewhere. Maybe it was a bad idea. He shouldn’t have gone. None of them should. They could’ve just let Patton do his thing and moved on. What was the point? What if they all died out there? What if-

Abruptly, Virgil felt something getting tangled around his legs. He had no time to stop walking before his legs did it for him. Before he knew it, his entire body tumbled to the ground, making his heart beat faster and causing a sharp pain in his hands, who he used to break his fall. Oh sh- “I’m sorry.” he whispered, as he started breathing faster. Suddenly, he heard a noise akin to a hiss and uneven crawling movements. With each tiny far off noise, Virgil was painfully aware of what he had just done. He had managed to slip in the stupid web. The magranea had been alerted. He looked up, meeting the eyes of Roman who looked mildly annoyed at most. He couldn’t hear it. Logan wasn’t even looking in Virgil’s direction, but was the first to reach out to help Virgil get up either way. Virgil grabbed the hand, not necessarily because he needed it, but because he felt like he had to. It was offered to him, and there was no need to make the situation any more difficult than it already was. “I- I hear it.” Virgil stuttered, “I’m so sorry.”

At the words, Logan and Roman’s eyes widened. “It is alright Virgil.” Logan started, “How far away is it?”

“Uhm… I think it’ll get here in about five or seven minutes.” Virgil said, trying to gain control of his breathing again. Great. Now they were all in danger and the magranea had a head start.

“That is not long, but we should be able to make a reasonable plan.” Logan stated, placing one hand on his chin thoughtfully. “Are all the directions we can escape in clear?”

Roman looked taken aback at Logan’s sudden leader-like planning. Virgil looked around them. Some paths were obstructed by small rocks and fallen branches. Those would be inconvenient to run through. “Nearly.” Virgil said. He walked to the nearby paths and started moving anything obstructing them. Logan looked pleased that Virgil had listened to his suggestion.

“Can we trap it… Somehow?” Roman asked hesitantly.

“Good question, Roman.” Logan said, as if he was lecturing a class rather than assessing a potentially life-threatening situation, “I think the ideal solution would be to get some sort of high ground. Magraneas have poor vision.”

“Like… Climbing trees?” Virgil asked.

Logan paused, “Yes, that could work. Are any of you good at that?”

Roman’s smile suddenly widened. “Say no more my Spectacled Spectacle!” Roman said.

Logan made a noise of disbelief at the name but didn’t mention it or react to it further. “I am not very good at it myself, but if I can hide and… Get _some_ magic out I might be able to trap it for a bit. Virgil, can you climb trees?”

“I guess.” Virgil said. Tossing the last few rocks out of the way. He’d climbed quite a few things back in the day. Sometimes it was the cleanest way to escape.

”Find a good tree.” Logan said, looking from Virgil to Roman. “Both of you. I believe you have a few throwing knives Virgil?”

“I do.” Virgil confirmed.

“Attempt to attack the eyes without being seen.” He looked at Roman again, “Roman, wait for it to be trapped and try to strike it. Go for its head.”

Roman nodded firmly. “Got it.”

Just like that, Roman started climbing a nearby tree, most of which was hidden from plain sight by leaves. Virgil took a deep breath, before attempting to climb a smaller tree. It was a little less hidden which was bothersome, but it was the only one Virgil could see himself hitting the creature properly. Logan ran towards a collection of shrubs, lying down on his stomach. Soon enough, the entire scene was the set up for a stealthy ambush. Virgil wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it. Logan’s voice as he had come up with the plan on the spot had seemed so convincing, and simple. Suddenly the entire thing seemed a lot more logical. Virgil didn’t mind his position in the attack. If he was lucky, he would be out of reach.

The group waited in their positions for what seemed like several breathless minutes. Logan and Roman could probably hear the noises too. Virgil felt uncomfortable shivers at the noises of the magranea legs lightly scraping across the ground. Virgil held two throwing knives in his right hand, ready to throw a third one with his left. He couldn’t spot Logan or Roman. He took a deep breath. It wouldn’t be long. 

The noises became louder and louder, causing tiny uncomfortable shrieks in Virgil’s ears. He exhaled sharply through his nose as the twisted body of the arachnid approached. Each joint bent in strange ways and the eyes were placed in the head like decorative (but not entirely beautiful) buttons. There was a loud hiss, that made Virgil’s heart beat rapidly. _Focus on the target_. Virgil held the knife in his left hand, aiming for one of the left eyes. The spider’s head turned to each side. Searching. It wouldn’t be too long before it sensed their presence. Virgil was a bit on the fence about throwing the knife before he was certain Logan had a way to trap the magranea. He felt his eyes growing tired as they were fixed on the creature. He took a deep breath and fired the knife towards the magranea’s eye. In a millisecond, the knife dug into it causing an inhuman shriek to escape the creature. Virgil scoffed a bit at the sight. One of its legs started moving strangely.

A moment passed as if time itself decided to hold its breath, before a quick, stuttering strike of light wrapped itself around the two of the magranea’s legs. Virgil sighed with relief. Logan had apparently managed to cast a spell on it. Feeling a bit more confident in his actions, Virgil threw another knife. In a swift motion it dug into a tiny part of the head, missing the eye ever so slightly. _Dang it_.

The magical rope around the legs tightened. Logan was trying to give Virgil another opening. Trying not to think about it too much, Virgil threw another knife at one of the middle eyes, hitting it with much more precision. The magranea hissed. It didn’t look or search in Virgil’s direction however, instead, its attention fell to its legs and the magical robe around them. Each of the magranea’s muscles seemed to tighten with surprise, anger or something similar.

It had noticed Logan. Virgil quickly reached for his pocket to get another knife. He had to do something quickly. He heard the magranea moving, each step sending sharp, cold gusts through his veins. This was a bad idea. This was all a bad idea. Why had he even agreed to it? What if Logan got hurt? Virgil found it difficult to breathe. They just had to get away after the whole ordeal. Patton could heal. It was going to be fine. But what if it wasn’t?

Just as Virgil managed to get his hand on another knife, he heard a twisting noise from the magranea. Just as he looked up, he saw that the remaining functioning eyes on the magranea were fixed on _him._ It was almost as if the magranea was smiling. A dark, twisted, amused and familiar smile. With a gasp, he felt his feet slipping, and as he instinctively clung to the branch, the rest of his body dropped. The world seemed to tilt a bit, as Virgil was dangling from a branch holding on as if his life depended on it. It totally did, didn’t it? Leaves were crunched on the ground in unpleasant ways. The hisses and steps became louder. More urgent. Virgil couldn’t breathe as he tried his hardest to pull himself back up on the branch. Just a little further.

Then he heard a dramatic and determined scream.

* * *

Roman lunged himself from the tree, plummeting determinedly towards the magranea’s head with great force. Screw it all. He just had to strike it properly, and he could finally show that he wasn’t just pretentious when he said he was good at using a sword. He could save Logan and the thief and get Elam Fidelio’s supplies. It was going to be fine. Roman was going to make sure of it. Mostly, his mind was clear, focused entirely on the target as the wind reminded him, that he was falling. It was a controlled fall, he told himself. He felt adrenaline rushing through him, as he stabbed his sword into the magranea’s head. Not today _migrane_ -ia. The magranea shrieked with what Roman assumed was pain and defeat. Just as the only thoughts in his head were those of success, he felt his body flick down, being held up entirely by the sword. Right. Gravity.

The magranea was crawling around panicked. Roman managed to support his feet on the strange-looking head. He pulled at the sword to get it out of the creature. It certainly wasn’t going to take his sword like that. He needed to defeat the beast with it. After one final yank at the grip, he started tumbling down, become weightless. With an audible ‘bonk’ Roman’s back hit the ground. No time for feeling pain just yet. He was in a battle. He pushed himself up, feeling a burning sensation in his body. He held his sword towards the magranea with a purposeful glare. He briefly glanced at the tip of his sword, that was covered in some rather disgusting liquid, he didn’t want to consider too much then and there. “Do you yield?” Roman asked theatrically, obviously not expecting a response. The magranea hissed, directing its attention towards him. Not Logan or Virgil. Out of the corner of his eye, Roman spotted Virgil climbing back up in the tree, and he heard some rustling from his right.

The magranea wheezed. It seemed to struggle with its movements but determined to continue fighting. Roman scoffed. “Have it your way, then.” he declared. He breathed in the air and adrenaline. Finally, he was succeeding at something. He wasn’t the weakest link. He dashed towards the creature with the sword in front. There was still a hint of magical rope around two of its legs, though the grip was looser. Another knife hit its eye though it hardly seemed bothered by it that time. Its attention was exclusively fixed on Roman, and though there couldn’t be much emotion hidden in the eyes, Roman felt like something was there, nonetheless. Anger. Frustration. Hunger. Roman pointed his sword at the side of the magranea’s head and thrust it forward. The magranea wheezed on impact and snapped after Roman with a sudden, uncharacteristically tenacious attack. It seized hold of Roman’s left shoulder, mostly holding on to the fabric.

Roman froze as the sensitive skin underneath felt the forceful unfamiliar grip of the magranea. No. Why would it specifically go for that shoulder? What was the point of that? It wasn’t a necessity for Roman to survive to have a free shoulder, so why the heck would it even do that? Roman couldn’t move his arm or his sword which was dumb, since nothing was physically restricting him. With a pull, the magranea pulled at the fabric of his white tunic, ripping a tiny bit of it from his shoulder. Just enough for it to be visible.

A large, uneven, grey mark that crept from the light brown skin, covering a good portion of his shoulder like a parasite that refused to go away. He slipped at the sight, instinctively covering the shoulder with his free hand. He pulled the sword out of the head as fast as he could. As if nothing else was more important in that moment, he reached for the red fabric around his waist. Another knife was thrown at the beast from above. Roman’s breathing was shaky, as he untied the fabric with one hand and wrapped it from his shoulder to his side like a sash. The second the fabric was secured, and the mark was somewhat safely covered, Roman took a deep breath and managed to get back in a stable position. He held his sword and looked at the magranea who was distracted by a firm pull at the magical rope around its legs.

The magranea fell over, hissing and clearly in no condition to keep fighting. Half its eyes were either closed or blocked by knives. As it fell, a final screech escaped it before every single muscle movement and joint bending ceased. There was no longer any struggle, as the magranea’s legs fell to the ground. It was dead.

“Are you alright?” Virgil said. Roman turned his head, holding his sword awkwardly. Virgil had already climbed down from the tree. That was impressively quick. Or had Roman been inattentive? There was unfamiliar concern in his voice.

“Yes.” Roman replied. He smiled. “We did it!”

Logan emerged from the bushes, brushing some leaves off his shoulders. Roman watched as he adjusted the spectacles that had become uneven. His hair was a bit messy, and his arms looked sluggish. “It… It appears we did.” he said.

Virgil walked forward to look at the corpse. For a moment, it was as if his mind was somewhere entirely different. He then turned towards Roman and inspected the red piece of fabric. “When did you-“ Virgil paused, “Did you do that _during_ the battle?” Virgil asked. The concern was suddenly gone and replaced with something accusing and disbelieving.

“I- It bit me. I figured I’d secure the wound before it got infected.” Roman lied.

Logan nodded. “That is a valid technique. I’m sure Patton can look at it when we get back.”

Oh. Roman should’ve thought of that. He tensed up. Virgil didn’t look entirely convinced. “You stopped fighting in the middle of a battle with a magranea, to wrap a piece of fabric around your shoulder?”

“The battle was nearly over.” Roman clarified.

Virgil licked his teeth, narrowed his eyes and looked at Logan again “So where do we find the salesman’s supplies?”

“With the magranea gone, it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. I’d assume we just have to follow the web."

* * *

It was so incredibly easy to keep a conversation going and get information out of Patton. Sure, there were some sensitive subjects here and there, and he couldn’t get much information about the shard without seeming suspicious (and he doubted Patton knew anything about it anyway). Yet, it didn’t take him long to get the gist of Patton’s relations with his fellow travellers as well as a good feel for the man himself. All Deceit had to do was play along and offer some stories in return.

Deceit soon fell into a rhythm where he only had to absentmindedly note each detail and otherwise devote the rest of his energy in his portrayal of Elam Fidelio. If it wasn’t for the mask, Deceit figured he would have next to nothing in common with the healer. Deceit wasn’t that naïve. It didn’t take long for Deceit to hear a couple of stories from magic school and a few things about the researcher he’d have to convince if he followed through with the plan.

Deceit looked at some trees on the other side of the unmarked road. It would be easy to hide something over there. ”Can I try to go for a little walk? To see if the leg has gotten better?” he asked with a voice that wasn’t his own.

“Well, it’s important to get some rest. I’m sure the others will be back with your supplies soon.” Patton answered with a friendly, insufferable smile. Really, what was that man trying to prove?

“I just… I really want to move for a bit. It feels as if my whole body is asleep.” Deceit said, making his voice as sympathetic as possible.

Patton looked thoughtful, moving his spectacles and brushing some brown hair behind his ear. “Yeah, I can see that. Alright, but I am going to go with you to support you just in case.”

Soon, Deceit was helped to his feet by a warm, comforting hand. Patton wrapped his arm around Deceit’s shoulder in such an unfamiliar, uncomfortably gentle way that reminded Deceit of lies and empty promises. Patton seemed naturally affectionate even to people he just met. Did Virgil see any appeal in that? Deceit swallowed the bitter thoughts and pride, smiling softly. “Thank you, sir.”

Deceit directed both of them behind the trees, muttering lies about how much he wanted to look at the presumably poisonous berries growing in there, and how much his husband loved acorns. Patton agreed to let him go for a moment, as he leaned against a tree. Deceit didn’t actually find it very difficult to walk. He would be able to hide the injury just fine. Deceit reached for something in his pockets. Patton hadn’t even bothered to search them, even when he had the opportunity to. Deceit grabbed something sharp, like an arrow. ”We should get back.” Patton said, reaching for Deceit’s shoulder once again.

Deceit held the poisonous object tightly in his hand, hiding it in his fist, but trying to keep it away from his own skin. Once Patton had wrapped his arm around Deceit, Deceit smiled maliciously. “Oh, I think I should.”

With a sudden motion, Deceit stabbed the sharp arrow into Patton’s unguarded side. Patton gasped and winced at the pain. He looked at Deceit. Confused, rather than betrayed as his entire body became heavy, and fell into Deceit’s arms like a sack of flour. Effective. Gently, Deceit placed Patton on the ground. The others probably wouldn’t search for him there just yet. Patton’s eyes were closed, and he looked peaceful even with the frown. His breathing was calm. Deceit felt something in his stomach, that wasn’t guilt, because he had no reason to feel that. He was better than that.

Just in case, Deceit tied some rope around the healer’s arms and legs. If Patton woke up earlier than anticipated that would buy Deceit some time. Then, Deceit heard a loud magranea screech. He smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter in which Virgil gets anxious and falls twice, while Deceit shares his ten-page larp character backstory with someone.  
> Thank you for reading! Leave kudos and a comment if you feel like it! They're greatly appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at dramaticsnakes.tumblr.com


	6. Flourishing complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I hope you're doing well!  
> Once again I would like to thank A Random Thing for taking the time to beta-read this chapter! It would be a lot less coherent without them and I appreciate their help so much!
> 
> This is definitely my longest chapter so far. I had fun with it and I hope you'll find some enjoyment in it too. 
> 
> Tw: Description of the spider monster from the last chapter, death mention, knives, being tied up and restrained, cursing. Let me know if I missed anything.

The entire magranea act was supposed to be fun. Well, it was a _little_ fun. Having eight legs was interesting, and crawling through the forest with strange eyes, and a somewhat obscured split vision, was even more unique. Remus could almost feel each muscle, tightening, twisting and bending each joint. He could almost feel each hair, rising from the spider-like body. He enjoyed watching each pedipalp in front of him (limbs, that were commonly used for mating, which was pretty funny to think about) and he felt large, intimidating and dementedly terrifying. He wasn’t entirely in control of course. He looked through the eyes and sent signals through small movements and thoughts. Even if so, it was fun to pretend.

What Remus hadn’t expected was for his world to momentarily shatter, like a severed head dropped on an ocean of spikes, because of a sneaking suspicion that was apparently true. How wonderful. What a _fucking_ delight.

Roman. His name was Roman. The man whose face Remus had wanted to dissect and destroy violently, because of its unearned familiarity. Remus opened his eyes and breathed heavily. He was sitting on the floor in his room. Alone. He watched the crack in his wall closely, as he was filled with a sudden desire to make it bigger. He wanted to punch through it with something. Anything.

Instead, Remus moved backwards backing up against another wall. He bit the inside of his left cheek as he thought of the grey mark on Roman’s shoulder. It made Remus wonder, and while thinking of endless possibilities could be an entertaining pastime, Remus was strangely repulsed by it then. He wasn’t usually repulsed by anything. He always preferred to dig deeper and experience every gruesome detail in its entirety before discarding any of his thoughts. Whenever he’d been presented with worst-case scenarios, he had happily made them worse. Why should now be any different?

Wouldn’t it be hilarious if Roman didn’t know? Maybe it would be even more fun if he _did_ know. If he sat there every day thinking, ‘Thank _goodness_ I am not that brother I never met. I am so glad I was placed here instead. That she decided I deserved a better life than him.’ Remus dragged his nails over the cold stone floor, creating a delightfully painful sound. He scoffed.

Remus hadn’t known at first. He’d managed to live a few years of his life with his mother without noticing a thing. Granted, he was only four when she died, so he hadn’t had much time. Now she was far beneath the ground, mocking him with each new discovery. Remus imagined a corpse with a hideous grin as it watched the chaos unfold. Remus thought it was some bullshit chaos. Honestly, a long-lost brother story? Why not throw some murder in there? Sexual tension? Burning towns? Hiding of bodies or misplaced limbs? Why was Remus the receiver of such dull chaos instead of the creator of a much more entertaining kind?

Remus thought about Roman’s reaction if Remus appeared. For a few selfish moments, he imagined mocking laughter and visible disgust. He imagined the pretentious man crying or yelling at Remus, as if that moment was everything that mattered.

Yet, Remus knew that the universe wouldn’t give him the _satisfaction_ of mattering. A much more likely outcome was that Roman would never know. That Roman would never care the slightest bit that there was any sort of biological connection between them. For years, Roman had been able to live happily without Remus, as one of the Kingdom-dwelling idiots. Whether Roman knew of Remus or not didn’t matter in the slightest.

Remus giggled to himself and tried to stand up. He felt wobbly. Did Virgil know? Remus stabilized himself on a black and green desk with messy sketches piling up. Almost desperately, he opened a drawer grabbing the first sharp object, which happened to be a knife. He jumped to his bed, landing on it with a loud ‘thump’, that made him wonder why it hadn’t fallen apart yet. Then, he moved one of the pillows that was against the wall, revealing some scratch marks, forming haunting pictures of monsters or whatever else Remus had thought of at the time. It was altogether pointless to hide them. While most of them were behind his pillows, they were hardly covered by them. It was his own room anyway. He was free to decorate it however he wanted. With a hard stab against the wall, he started scratching another picture. It was placed on top of an old one, but it didn’t really matter. With each sharp turn of the blade, he scratched out the outline for an eight-eyed, melting skull, that was screaming at nothing.

* * *

Deceit left the scene without much hesitation. Patton was safely placed out of sight and would no longer get in the way. Deceit approached the horses, tied to the nearest trees with a few bags strapped to each of them. The next logical step would be to get the shard, or at the very least pinpoint its location. 

It didn’t take a genius to realize that the shard would be among Logan’s supplies, and they weren’t particularly difficult to find either. Only one of the horses had visible books peeking out of some surprisingly orderly items. It was an elegant black horse, and Deceit distinctly remembered the man with the spectacles riding it.

He approached the horse who looked at him skeptically. Well, Deceit doubted the horse could truly do that, but its eyes were fixed on him, as if any wrong movement was a violation of the law. Perhaps it was, though Deceit had the advantage in that he simply did not care much for the law. Certainly not from the perspective of a horse.

The second he opened one of the bags, he knew it was the right one. He couldn't see it, but he felt it intently. It felt grounding, as if nothing was complete without it. It felt powerful as if it could decide anyone's fate. It felt fragile, as if it could be dropped and destroyed, leaving every living thing desperately begging for its return. Begging for it to continue watching attentively, like a tempting, cruel, and attractive deity. Deceit knew the feeling well. It had been a significant part of his life for years. Perhaps others didn't feel it quite as much as he did. They hadn't grown accustomed to needing it, actively searching for anything similar in its absence. Not only did Deceit hear its presence, like a familiar and intimate whisper, he felt it in his cheeks, his hands and his eyes, as it tinkered with his senses. His suspicions had been confirmed. The shard was indeed a part of the Mindsphere. 

It hadn’t made much sense at first. The two halves of the Mindsphere were placed far from one another, both whole in their own right. There hadn’t been any signs of physical damage to the one Deceit had access to, and really there shouldn’t be any material traces of it elsewhere. It hadn’t taken Deceit very long to deduce that it was a possibility, however. There had been hypothetical studies on the subject of overstraining the Sphere that went all the way back to the third Hidden One. While it should be worrying, that something had been left behind by the Sphere, lying in plain sight, it wasn’t what mattered. For some reason, Deceit knew deep down, that a shard that was somehow a part of the Mindsphere in anyone else’s hands could prove to be a big problem. It could destroy his plans and everything he’d built up through the years, if it ended up in the hands of some people who had no clue what they were working with (or worse, knew exactly what they were working with and used it against him). Deceit was not about to let that happen.

The shard wasn’t immediately visible once Deceit opened the bag. At least Logan had had the common sense to hide it away somehow. The first sight Deceit was met with, was that of two books, one about the history of some obscure theory and one with some critical modern essays on known magic by some Kingdom author. Deceit didn’t have time to look at either. He gently removed them from the bag, holding them in his free hand, while he cautiously looked through each pocket. Deceit squinted. Where was it? It had to be somewhere in the bag. Deceit embraced a burning sensation in his chest, as he let a comfortably stinging power flow through his veins. The spell allowed Deceit to notice an obstruction in the corner of the bag. Logan had apparently hidden the shard behind a tiny magical barrier. Perhaps it was a clever choice. If Deceit had actually been that Elam Fidelio character or someone else who wasn’t magically capable, it would’ve been enough to keep him from it. It was far from enough to keep a talented sorcerer such as Deceit at bay though. He grinned, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let his hand hover over what he assumed was the location of the shard, visualizing threads being pulled from it, slowly loosening it. The barrier fell apart and was rolled into an invisible pile of strings.

Deceit opened his eyes, partially expecting to see the shard right beneath his hand. It wasn’t that easy. He was met with the sight of a box. It was shaped like a cube, and painted black, with a dark blue pattern lining the edges of the lid. Deceit squinted and tried picking it up, but it was fastened to the bag. Strange. The sides had cuts in different places, and there were little bulges that were shaped in odd ways. There wasn’t any lock attached to it. He tried opening it, but the lid wouldn’t budge. Deceit groaned. Did he need a key of sorts? A spell? He placed the books in the bag again and started rummaging through it a bit more carelessly. He opened another bag and looked for it there too. He didn’t have time for this. A box wasn’t supposed to keep him away. He wasn’t some common thief who wanted a bit of money. He was Deceit, the powerful Hidden One who knew _exactly_ what he was doing. He could bring the entire bag, though it wouldn’t be the slightest bit discreet. Maybe he could just cast a spell and open the box in a less neat way, though that would definitely raise suspicion in case he had to resort to plan B for some reason.

Though perhaps plan B wasn’t such a bad idea. He licked his teeth thoughtfully when he heard steps and voices further into the forest. Those adventurers had been a lot faster than anticipated. Deceit had left some supplies in there for them to find just in case he’d be able to get away easily. Perhaps he should’ve let them chase after nothing, but it seemed riskier somehow. There were several scenarios where them thinking there wasn’t anything strange going on would be a lot more beneficial. Deceit might be able to gather more information that way. Deceit thought about Virgil, and the thought of getting some valuable insight. If Logan had put that much effort into hiding the shard, it was possible, he knew something. Yes. Plan B wasn’t bad at all. Deceit placed the box in the bag again, closed his eyes and recast a similar barrier spell to cover his tracks. Once he’d cleaned everything up and closed the bag, the voices were a little louder.

He put on a confused but sympathetic smile and started walking into the forest as Elam Fidelio. It didn’t take long before the adventurers emerged from the trees and saw the probably dishevelled Elam approaching them. Roman was pulling a heavily damaged wooden cart with a couple of bags and boxes in it. They weren’t filled with anything in particular, only having a few fabrics or simple items on top in case anyone should open them. “Ah, Fidelio!” Roman exclaimed. There was a certain recognizable pride and excitement to the words, that Deceit couldn’t quite place.

“Goodness, are you alright?” Deceit asked, fake concern in his voice, “I heard a terrible screech.”

“We are adequate.” Logan said so matter-of-factly that Deceit hardly suppressed a chuckle.

“We did it!” Roman said with a hint of disbelief, gesturing to the cart, “We defeated the beast and recovered your supplies.”

Deceit smiled widely, “I- I don’t know how to repay you. Thank you!”

Deceit caught a glance of Virgil, who otherwise had a habit of not being very noticeable. He was staring at Deceit with cold and doubting eyes, though he forced a smile once they made eye contact. “Don’t mention it.” Roman said proudly.

“Where is Patton?” Virgil asked.

“He’s waiting by the horses.” Deceit replied, the lie simple and sweet, “I insisted on going in after you right away while he tidied everything up.”

“Wonderful, we can head back together.” Roman said.

“Ah, that won’t be necessary.” Deceit responded, with the kindest smile he could muster, “I am going this way anyway.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Into the forest?”

Deceit resisted the urge to groan, as the familiar voice with somewhat unfamiliar confidence spoke. “Oh, no. There’s a path up ahead.” he said, pointing vaguely to the left.

“Did you get sufficient treatment? Has Patton said you’re good to go?” Logan asked, glancing at Deceit’s leg worriedly.

“Thank you for your concern.” Deceit said, trying not to come off as unnaturally busy, “My leg still hurts a bit, but Patton says it’s alright. If I go now, I might make it home before the sun goes down.”

“That would be ideal, yes.” Logan said with a nod. Virgil and Roman both glanced at Logan as he did so. Roman with an understanding smile, and Virgil with something akin to… Respect. He seemed suspicious, but not opposed to the idea of agreeing to what Logan had to say. Deceit usually prided himself in his ability to read people, but for some ridiculous and aggravating reason, he found himself second-guessing when it came to Virgil. It was strange, because really Virgil was incredibly _easy_ to read. Every bag under his eyes, every eyebrow twitch, and the way he fiddled with his hands. He was like an open book, who so desperately wanted to close itself off. His entire act was so _obvious_ underneath that hood that was just altogether _insulting_.

“I really can’t thank you enough. I hope we cross each other’s paths again, so that I can find something to give you.” Deceit said, trying to sound as genuine as possible. _Unlikely._

"Someday perhaps." Roman said with an understanding nod.

After exchanging a couple of pleasantries, Deceit proceeded into the forest, pulling the heavy and worthless cart, he'd prepared as a prop during the night. He glanced behind him to make sure the group was headed in a different direction. Once he was standing safely behind some trees, he placed the cart on the ground, figuring that he could get his things later if necessary. There wasn't anything irreplaceable.

He took a deep breath as he stretched out his arms, listening to the hissing of the leaves around him. He breathed in, and felt his entire body become a little lighter, like a collection of whirling grains, attempting to find their places. For a few moments he felt vulnerable, but it was quickly replaced with a sense of power and control. He imagined Patton. His dark eyes, bronze skin, and tried to remember the location of each freckle. Elam’s skin seemed to shed and fade into nothingness, as it was replaced by every detail in the memory he had stored. The clothing changed shape and colour, and mere seconds later he fell to the ground, supporting the weight of his body with his legs and arms, in an elegant crouching position. He straightened his back, looked at his hands, stretching each new finger and licked his teeth contentedly. He ran a hand through his own hair that was softer and curlier than he was used to.

The ability to transform completely, was a unique one. Deceit was proud of it. It was one of the simplest ways to go undetected, and a necessary way too. It was never good when people knew exactly who you were and what you looked like. It made you vulnerable, and it was one of Deceit’s many duties to remain hidden. It was likely that very few people he knew before he was selected to become the Hidden One remembered his appearance, save for the people he kept close. It was the best way to roam free and do anything he pleased without unwanted interference. Having a consistent appearance could very well become his first and last mistake. His ability made it so easy and satisfying to become anything he wanted to be.

With a smirk he stared in the direction of the horses, hastily moving through the forest, to make sure he wasn’t too late. All he had to do was make it there first, and with a bit of simple teleportation magic, he’d have an easy shortcut. The second he spotted an area close by he thought about it vividly, as he momentarily dissolved and reappeared elsewhere.

One of the horses gave him a strange look. Deceit walked towards it and petted it for authenticity. Mere moments later, three figures emerged from the woods. Roman was the first to smile wholeheartedly at the sight of Patton. Logan had a professional look in his eyes, though Deceit noticed the features growing softer. Virgil looked at the surroundings, eyes eventually falling on Deceit. There was something… Strange in the expression. It was familiar in a sense. Some sort of respect or affection, that Deceit had seen before, though there was a hint of something powerful. Trust. Deceit was reminded, that he had not seen that look in a long time, and it reached his heart like a single stray needle, before encapsulating it in an intense, burning exasperation. “Patton! We did it! We defeated the magranea!” Roman announced.

Deceit tried to mimic the smile he had seen on Patton prior to his friends leaving, adding in some relief for good measure. “You did? Oh, Roman that’s wonderful!”

In that moment, Roman rushed towards Patton with pure excitement, and once his arms twitched ever so slightly, Deceit realized something rather appalling. Patton was definitely a hugger. An avid one at that. Deceit’s eyes widened for a moment, before he embraced Roman. It brought him a warmth that wasn’t unexpected, and Deceit bit back an unwelcome shiver.

The hug, Deceit noted, was a lot like Remus’ hugs, though there was a certain kind of composure to it. It wasn’t the same kind of uncontained elation. There was a rather proper facade to it, but there was some clear and unfiltered care shining through as well.

Roman was the first to let go, and Deceit’s eyes lingered on him for a few moments. “I am so glad none of you got hurt!” Deceit said, trying to pave his tone with some dependable innocence. Deceit noticed Virgil observing him. The look was somewhat dawdling, as if Virgil was preparing himself for something. Deceit felt something tug gently at his insides, as he smiled at Virgil. Adjusting his posture to be less formal, he hastily approached Virgil. Virgil gave a wry smile and rolled his eyes, as he took initiative, and hugged Deceit awkwardly.

That was new. Virgil didn’t initiate hugs. Not as far as Deceit was aware. The hug was genuine and strange. There wasn’t the same hesitance to it, Deceit had grown accustomed to. “Guess the creepy crawly death dealer couldn’t best this team, huh?” Deceit said, figuring that Patton was probably the type who would utter meaningless nonsense like that.

Deceit found himself analysing every part of Virgil’s embrace intently before Virgil pulled back. There was a frown of sorts the second Virgil did so, but it was quickly replaced by a smile and a scoff. “Guess not.” he said.

“Are hugs like these customary for every greeting?” the researcher with the spectacles (“Lo” as Patton informally put it) said, as he glanced at Deceit.

“Come on Lo.” Deceit said, “You just fought a monster and everything. Surely it isn’t strange that I’m happy to see you.”

Deceit felt Virgil glance at him momentarily. Deceit walked to Logan and gave him a hug, trying to make it seem as natural as possible. Why did Deceit pick the hugger of the group to portray? What an exhausting endeavour. Logan’s hug was hesitant but not entirely unwelcoming. It wasn’t like Virgil’s or Remus’. There was something more sparing to it. Deceit let go. “By the way, Patton.” Logan said.

“Yes?” Deceit said, attempting to keep his tone excited.

“We believe, Roman might be injured.”

“Oh.”

“We were hoping you could take a look at it.” Logan continued.

Deceit glanced at Roman, who was shifting uncomfortably. “Oh, it isn’t that necessary. I feel better already.”

“Well, there shouldn’t be any harm in letting a professional look at it, anyway.” Logan said, matter-of-factly.

Deceit smiled wider with each word, as he thought about the situation at hand. That was an issue. Deceit hadn’t really considered the fact that Patton could technically count as a professional. Deceit knew the basics of healing magic, though it was hardly his specialty. “Ah well, maybe we should wait for later.” Deceit tried, “We should probably get to a safer location at least.”

“Yes, Patton is right!” Roman said, with a sudden enthusiasm, “I don’t think it is that important anyhow.”

Deceit noticed Virgil looking at Roman strangely and tried his best to analyse the look. For a few unsettling moments, Deceit thought Virgil might’ve been suspicious of Deceit. Yet, as Virgil squinted at the bard’s features, Deceit realized that Deceit was hardly the person Virgil was concerned about.

* * *

The first thought that reached Patton’s head when he awoke, was not a thought as much as it was his throat producing an instinctual groan. He opened his eyes, drowsily tilting his head on the ground. It was rather painful to have his head like that. Where was he?

Oh, right. The trees towering above him, and a burning pain in his right side reminded him of his situation. He tried to remember exactly what had happened. Someone had stabbed him with… Something. A poison of sorts. Why was that? Patton looked at his hands, then his feet, noticing a rope tied around them. The moment he noticed them, he realized just how tight they were. They were definitely going to make marks for a while.

Patton gasped to himself at the thought of the traveling salesman he’d healed not that long ago. It hadn’t been that long, had it? A few minutes? A few hours? A day? The name Elam Fidelio was clear in Patton’s mind. He had been the only one around when Patton had fallen to the ground. Why hadn’t he stopped it somehow? Who had tied Patton up?

Oh. Patton tried to push himself up, without success, as his insides twisted uncomfortably. He suddenly remembered the look on Elam’s face. The words that had felt out of place, as if they had been spoken by someone else. A cold, malicious tone, that was very unlike the caring and concerned salesman, Patton had had a couple of pleasant conversations with. Was Elam the one who had caused Patton to pass out? Why would he do that? Patton felt a groggy headache each time he tried to think deeply about any of the questions. He decided he would postpone them a little. At least until he’d managed to stand up and get back to his friends. Why hadn’t they come fors him yet? Surely, they’d discovered he was gone by now. Unless something had happened to them. Patton felt his heart beating faster.

Patton looked at his surroundings once again. He was lying by the foot of a small oak tree, hidden behind a collection of larger trees and a lonely birch. The ground was mostly dirt and moss, only a few patches of grass scattered around the area. The sun indicated that it was in the middle of the afternoon. Well, at least it hadn’t been too long. There didn’t appear to be much life in the forest, only a few bugs crawling up the tree he was lying by. Patton couldn’t stand up, mostly because of the rope tied around his hands and legs. All he had to do was untie them somehow, though that was difficult, since hands were commonly used for untying things. Patton pondered his options. He couldn’t quite reach the edges of the rope with his free fingers. Maybe he could cast a simple fire spell and burn the rope? It could be dangerous. He wasn’t the best with spells like that, and if he accidentally cast an ember to the side, something else might catch on fire. He might also receive burns of his own, which he’d prefer to avoid.

Like an unusually uncoordinated worm, Patton jumped backwards, managing to sit up against the tree behind him awkwardly. All he had to do was loosen the rope a tiny bit. Praying that the bark would be sharp enough, Patton started grating the rope against the side of the tree. He wasn’t at all certain that kind of thing really worked, but it was worth a try.

A minute or two passed, when Patton heard something rustling behind him. Inhaling sharply, he turned around. He let out a scream and trembled at the sight.

The source of the noise, was a wolf, looking at him with deep, considering amber eyes. No teeth were showing, though it was standing in a rather defensive, if not curious position. Patton became painfully aware of his own breathing. Slow and shaky, along with his entire body. Was he supposed to look the wolf in the eyes or not? He was sure he’d gotten some advice on that somewhere. “H-hi.” he stuttered instead, trying to remain as still as possible.

The wolf tilted its head to the side, as if it was deeply contemplating Patton’s existence. For a few painful moments, Patton watched the wolf’s tongue closely, as the wolf licked around its mouth. While the first thing Patton thought about was how adorable the little pink tongue looked, passing by the black nose, he quickly reminded himself, that it was a sign of hunger. Did wolves eat people? He really should’ve listened more in that one class. At first, Patton nearly decided to tap into his fears and risk a few stray embers in order to free himself and scare the wolf away, but the more he stared at the wolf’s vacant expression, the less he felt like he was in danger. While the wolf’s attention was entirely fixed on him, it didn’t _look_ like it planned on attacking him.

With almost cautious steps, the wolf gradually approached Patton, sinking its head slightly to the ground, being on level with Patton’s hands. Patton stopped breathing without realizing it, until the wolf started whiffing the rope around Patton’s hands. There was something cute about the sight, like a curious dog, but there was also an underlying look, of a predator investigating its prey. “A-are you lost too?” Patton asked, not because he expected a reply, but because the silence and tension was a little too unsettling to him. One of the wolf’s ears twitched at Patton’s word, and it was clear that it was listening, even if it didn’t understand.

Patton released a breath he’d been holding, and his eyes darted between the rope and the wolf. No… Maybe? Patton shut his eyes for a moment, as he let his heart rate shoot through his veins, eventually dissolving into dust. He opened his eyes, staring at the pinkish glow ascending from his right hand. He tried his best to direct it towards the rope, rather than his own body, as the latter would be a counter-productive for many reasons. The wolf watched the dust intently, as it settled around the rope and Patton’s hand. It squinted, moving a little closer. Patton felt its warm breath on the back of his hand, as the wolf sniffed the rope once more, licking its mouth hungrily. At first, it licked the rope. Then, Patton felt the side of its teeth and gums, brushing his skin, as the wolf started biting the rope. It proved to be a great deal more effective than the tree strategy had been, as the rope became visibly worn within a single minute.

Patton watched the wolf, mesmerized, and perhaps a little frightened. After biting the rope a little, it started licking Patton’s hand, which tickled more than Patton would’ve initially thought. He tried to suppress a giggle unsuccessfully. At least the wolf wasn’t giving Patton’s hand the same treatment as the rope. The wolf continued to bite at the rope, looking more and more confused each second. “Awh.” Patton said, “I know it doesn’t taste that good, but I am sure you can get some better food soon. I don’t think actually eating the rope is very healthy anyway, but you’re doing a great job at helping me, cub.” The word ‘cub’ didn’t entirely apply, but for some reason Patton found it appropriate. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was trying to explain the situation to a wolf, but it was nice to talk to something sentient anyway.

The rope became looser, and soon, Patton was able to free his hands entirely. He beamed. “Thank you, so much!”

The wolf replied by staring at the rope, as it fell to the ground, giving it another whiff, before looking at Patton again. Patton untied the rope around his legs, stretching them excitedly. “I gotta get back to the others now.” he announced to himself, pushing himself up from the ground. The burning pain in his side increased. He winced. He really needed to give that a closer look once he made it back to his supplies. As Patton took a few steps in the direction he remembered coming from, he heard a shuffling behind him. As he looked back, he noticed the wolf, following along. Patton wasn’t sure if what he was feeling was fear, or if he was simply overwhelmed by the _adorable_ and _fluffy_ look on the wolf’s face. “Gosh, you are just so _cute_!” Patton exclaimed, honestly. He crouched right in front of it, to get a closer look. “But… Why aren’t you attacking me?”

The wolf took a cautious step closer. Patton presented the palm of his hand, and the wolf stared at it like a curious puppy. Patton slowly placed his hand on the wolf’s head and started stroking it gently. “Maybe Logan knows…” Patton mumbled absentmindedly. He smiled at the wolf again, “If you wanna follow, be my guest. Maybe we can get you some food.”

Patton and the wolf walked the final steps back to where Patton could’ve sworn, they left the horses. To his surprise, however, there was nothing there. Some of the grass was flattened by trampling hooves, and Patton recognized all the surroundings quite well. Flower wasn’t there either, which was strange because even if the others took off without him, it was strange to bring an extra horse. They wouldn’t take off without him of course. At least not without leaving a note.

The wolf walked a few steps ahead and sniffed the empty area. There was something confused and determined in its posture. “D-do you know where they are?” Patton said, his voice smaller than intended.

The wolf looked at Patton for a moment. It’s ears twitched, as it started walking straight ahead, further in the direction they had intended to ride together. No... “A-are you sure?” Patton asked. He didn’t get a reaction as the wolf merely continued determinedly. Patton sighed to himself in a way that sounded more like a dumbfounded ‘huh’ than anything else. He looked at the forest, as he felt a knot in his stomach growing. Patton took a deep breath and followed the wolf.

* * *

Deceit was a little surprised at how casual riding towards a new location felt. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d expected. It had been a while since he’d been around people from the kingdom. In fact, he was rarely around that many people from the Outskirts either. It had been some time since he’d been out in the open, pretending to be someone else in order to achieve a desired goal. He wouldn’t say he was too out of practice of course. He had always had a knack for it. From an early age, it had been the simplest way to protect himself. To protect anyone he kept close. It was the simplest way to achieve his goals, and he had never seen a reason to stop. He’d been disgraced for it in the past sometimes. Called a deceitful coward. Later on, however, words that had previously been used in an attempt to make him feel worthless, had been expressed in admiration. He’d been rewarded and respected for his capacity for deceit. The truth, however bittersweet it was, was that he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near where he was in terms of reputation, talent and power, if he hadn’t acted that way.

_No, that name won’t do…_

A soothing and ardent voice from the past echoed in his mind like a whisper.

_We’ll have to find one that suits your talents. Your desires. Don’t you agree?_

It was strange to ride among Logan, Roman and Virgil so naturally. They accepted his presence, because of his disguise. They even seemed to enjoy it at times. There hadn’t been many conversations on the way to their next camp, but Virgil approached Deceit shortly after they departed.

“Hey uhm… Pat?” Virgil said, looking around as if to ensure no one else heard.

“Mhm?” Deceit replied.

“I was wondering… Well…” Virgil didn’t look Deceit directly in the eyes, “Do you trust Roman?”

Deceit thought about the question for a moment. What would Patton say? “Of course, I do.”

“It’s just that… I feel like he’s behaving strangely.” Virgil stuttered.

“What do you mean?” Deceit asked.

Virgil gave Deceit a prolonged look, and for a few fragile moments, Deceit feared he’d said something very out of character. “Something is off.” Virgil simply said.

“Really?” Deceit said, trying his best to act concerned, “What would that be?”

“I don’t know! _Something_ is off about him.” Virgil said, sounding a bit frustrated, “None of us know anything about him. He could be a spy or a murderer or _something_.”

That was the worrying Deceit had grown accustomed to in the past. Jumping to conclusions. Yet, maybe it wasn’t entirely irrational of Virgil to be mistrusting. Just because Patton appeared to trust someone, didn’t necessarily mean that was a good idea. Deceit knew that from experience. “Now, Virgil.” the name felt bittersweet on his tongue, “I am sure it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing!” Virgil said, disgruntled. He breathed and looked at Deceit, studying the expression closely. “Look, I know you always see the _good_ in everyone, but I am telling you, he is _hiding_ something.”

“Is he now?” Deceit repeated bitterly, almost without thinking. Virgil furrowed his eyebrows, and Deceit quickly recomposed himself, “Your concerns are valid, Virgil, but so far he hasn’t done anything. Let’s just let him be, alright?”

Virgil sighed deeply, glanced at Roman and Logan riding in front of them and nodded hesitantly. “...Alright.”

They continued to ride. Deceit couldn’t help but notice how different everything looked compared to the Outskirts. He’d seen it several times before, but the pure brightness of it all was curious to see nonetheless. Deceit was quite fond of the way the sunbeams reached him, and a part of him wanted to transform to feel the heat on his scales. He wasn’t completely dim-witted though and remained disguised. He could always sunbathe another time. A couple of hours passed, and the sky became darker. They eventually made it to a secluded spot by a lake, and Deceit noticed Virgil and Logan exchanging a strange knowing look.

They set up two tents. Deceit had been slightly taken aback, once he learned that he was supposed to sleep in the same tent as Virgil. It wasn’t that it made him uncomfortable at all, but rather the fact that Virgil regularly slept in the same tent as Patton. What else did they do together? Goodness, if Remus had been there, he would already have made several inappropriate jokes.

Deceit helped Roman set up one of the tents. He started a conversation about some trivial fairy tale, Deceit had never heard of. Deceit tried his best to humour him, and quickly learned that Roman was the type of person who could keep a conversation going with himself, as long as Deceit pretended to listen. Soon, Roman was passionately rambling on about how it would’ve been much more _interesting_ if the fairy tale had ended with the princess returning to the witch after breaking the curse, or something along those lines. Entertaining, but not particularly useful information.

As soon as the tents were standing, and they were all unoccupied, Logan adjusted his spectacles. “Patton you should really take a look at Roman’s wound now. We wouldn’t want it to go untreated.”

Ah. Deceit wasn’t entirely certain how to treat any wounds, at least not in the same way Patton did. If someone more knowledgeable than him when it came to herbs and healing spells saw him, it could seem suspicious. “Uhm, I suppose-”

“It’s not necessary, really!” Roman said with an awkward smile, “It doesn’t even hurt anymore. I’m probably as healthy as a newly hatched wyvern!”

Virgil looked up from his horse. “You said it bit you and you had to cover up a wound, didn’t you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say it was a _wound_. It just hurt. I didn’t get a proper look at it in the battle.” Roman said.

“Well then Patton should get a proper look at it now.” Virgil stated, and Deceit had an urge to crush something calmingly between his hands and groan with frustration.

“I suppose…” Roman said, though his voice was suspiciously silent.

“It doesn’t have to be long unless something is wrong. Patton is a professional after all.” Logan stated, sending Deceit a quick look, that reminded Deceit of one that might be exchanged between two adults convincing a child to do something they found frightening in the moment.

Maybe it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. All Deceit had to do was give the shoulder a quick glance and conclude that nothing was wrong. If there was an issue, it wasn’t his problem. He’d be gone before it was revealed. “I can do that.” Deceit said, turning to Roman who was staring at the ground. Deceit tilted his head slightly. Roman’s posture was a lot different from the passionate one he had some minutes prior.

“I uhm…” Roman swallowed something, and strangely he looked despondent. Then his expression transformed into a happier one, though it was incredibly easy to spot how fake it was. “Sure. Can we do it in a tent or something? I don’t really like the idea of it being uhm…”

“Sure, that sounds good.” Deceit said, possibly a little too quickly. Logan in particular seemed to be quite knowledgeable in a lot of fields. If Deceit overlooked something simple, it wouldn’t remain unnoticed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Deceit noticed Virgil’s eyebrows twitch slightly. Deceit bit his lip and smiled. Logan looked a bit perplexed. “If that is what you’re comfortable with I suppose.” he said.

“Great!” Roman said with a smile and nodded in the direction of his tent. He attempted not to give Roman too scrutinizing of a look, before walking in the direction of the tent without another word. As he strolled along, he suddenly found himself missing his cape, that would otherwise float around him. A silly thought really. Hardly relevant.

Roman was uncharacteristically quiet as he entered the tent and Deceit spotted undeniable shame radiating from him. Deceit put on his most bubbly smile, as he hoped he’d soon have the chance to snoop around without interruptions. If he sought out Logan, he could get valuable insight into exactly how much they knew. Deceit and Roman were soon sitting inside the small tent together, that didn’t quite fit Roman’s height. It wouldn’t have fit Deceit’s either if he wasn’t disguised, and even as Patton he couldn’t sit upright. Roman was looking down, and his hand was placed on the bedroll clutching the canvas nervously. Deceit wondered what exactly it was Roman was so afraid of. He hadn’t had a single problem, running headfirst into danger defeating a full-size magranea with nothing but a sword, yet his entire demeanour was similar to that of a frightened animal in a burning forest, who was mere seconds away from being engulfed by flames, at the idea of a medical check-up? It didn’t quite add up.

“Alright. Uhm… I’ll just check your sh-“ Deceit started, the voice that came out so distantly bright.

“Wait.” Roman said, holding one hand in front of him as if to prevent Deceit from going any closer. “Patton there is… There is something I have to…” Roman trailed off and scratched the side of his face. He chuckled dryly.

Deceit faltered. “Have to… What?”

Roman bit his lip and continued to look down. “It’s just that…” he swallowed something in his throat, “There is something about me… My shoulder that is.”

“Well that _should_ - _der_ not be a problem.” Deceit said. The words almost slipped before he could think, though he was probably just getting a bit too used to his character. Roman snorted, though his expression continued to remain emotionless. “I’m sorry, go on.” Deceit added, leaning a bit forward as he felt like that kind of gentle curiosity was something Patton would practice.

“Look I’ll… I’ll show you, alright? Promise not to freak out?” Roman said, his expression expectant and surprisingly undramatic.

Instead of replying, Deceit just tried to shoot him a reassuring smile and a nod. Roman seemed to take that as a yes. He sighed with defeat and moved one arm to the red fabric he’d wrapped around the left shoulder. With visible hesitance, he loosened it, and allowed it to fall down next to him revealing…

Oh.

_Oh._

The shoulder was covered in a dark grey mark, that manifested itself with a great intensity. It wasn’t unlike the marks of a few people Deceit knew, though it was strange how it was entirely limited to the shoulder. It didn’t grow far up his neck, and there were no ears to accompany it. It merely slithered down the shoulder, welcome and at home yet still so strangely misplaced.

But that was hardly the most important thought about the observation.

It took Deceit mere moments to make the connection. He remembered the few times they’d spoken about it as children. He remembered the time he’d helped Remus discover it. Breaking in, to look at documents that weren’t meant for them. He remembered the determined look on Remus’ face and how much it faltered and changed at the discovery. The complicated feelings had become a lot less apparent through the years, but it was always there. Hiding in the background like the sound of the wind, on an otherwise quiet day. A mystery from a distant past, where neither of them were quite the same.

Everything clicked into place. The height, the hair, the eyes and demeanour. Deceit recognized it. Roman was Remus’ brother. It wasn’t common at all, for the marks to be limited in the same way it was on Roman. It didn’t entirely fit in anywhere. It would be somewhat out of place in the Outskirts, but easier to hide in the Kingdom. It had been one of the few clues Remus had had to the whereabouts of his brother back then, but as the excitement had faded, so had the hope of finding him. The dream that it would change anything at all. Deceit felt his heart sink, as he realized that the fact that the Magranea had been the one to bite off the fabric meant that Remus knew. That Remus had perhaps had the suspicion without saying, only to look for the answers himself.

For a few, fragile seconds, Deceit had the urge to turn back. See what exactly Remus was feeling and attempt to console him, if that was what was needed. Though a much more realistic part of Deceit knew all too well, that not only would Remus live out his emotions in a way that was far less simple to console, it would also be incredibly inconvenient to attempt so now. Deceit was in the middle of an important task, that he still had a few hours left to complete, and the interaction with Remus was inevitable, whether it happened now or later. There was no need to hurry it along. He just hoped it hadn’t affected Remus too negatively just yet.

“Are you alright?” Roman said, sheepishly, and Deceit remembered what he was doing.

“Oh, yeah!” Deceit said, trying to get back into character, “That’s… A grey mark you’ve got there.”

Roman sighed, “Look, I understand if this makes you… Distrust me, bu-“

“Not at all.” Deceit said, and mild perplexity spread across Roman’s face. “Though, do you mind telling me how?”

In a way, the situation was rather hilarious. Roman was sitting right in front of Deceit revealing such a vulnerable part of himself to someone he’d come to trust, without knowing that the person he truly trusted wasn’t anywhere nearby. He looked so emotionally vulnerable, and Deceit found himself considering just how _easy_ it would be to harm Roman in such a situation. With some well-placed suspicion, anger or disgust, Deceit could affect the entire outcome. Possibly, Roman’s entire life. Though that wasn’t what Deceit was there for. Roman was just a speck of dust to Deceit’s plan. There was no reason to bother. “Well…” Roman stuttered, “I was born like this. I never knew exactly how or why. I was very young when I was found.” his voice sounded like he was reading a poem, “I was on the street, alone and left behind by someone I never knew. I was put in an orphanage for a few years until I was adopted by my parents.” his eyes became almost pleading and desperate, “I didn’t lie, you know? When I told you about my parents? They’re the ones who raised me. They’re all I ever had. I feel no connection to this… This _splotch_.”

Deceit fought the urge to sigh coldly at that. It was strange, the way the people of the Kingdom saw the marks. Not as a blessing, or symbol of knowledge, but rather something that provoked suspicion. Though to those in the Outskirts, lacking them could be seen as a sign of weakness. That you were unworthy. Deceit was far from an advocate for such black and white thinking, though it was to be expected from certain people. In some ways, Deceit had endorsed it, though it was only to achieve a particular goal. An important one, that would right the wrongs and make everything feel whole. To gain control and knowledge no one else had had. “Roman, it’s alright! Really!” Deceit said.

Roman eased up a little. “Ha… Thank you Patton.” He sighed, “I wasn’t really hurt. The magranea barely touched me, I just…” he placed one hand on his upper arm nervously, “I’ve just always _hidden_ it you know. I don’t want people to… Well…”

“I totally get it.” Deceit said, trying to give something that resembled an understanding nod in spite of every emotion he refused to feel inside him. There was another thing that bothered Deceit by the idea of Roman revealing something so easily to Patton, even if he’d been pressured to do so essentially. What was it about Patton, that made him seem trustworthy enough to tell secrets to? Deceit’s thoughts drifted to Virgil. How much did Patton know? Not that Virgil could reveal any information that mattered… “I’m sorry you had to end up in a situation like this.”

“It doesn’t bother you at all?” Roman said, still appearing uncertain about what to make of Deceit’s reaction.

Deceit hoped that he was acting frivolously enough to be a believable Patton. “Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

“Will you… Will you tell the others?” Roman asked meekly.

“Not unless you want me to.” Deceit said. It almost came out like a dare, but Deceit figured that if it came from Patton it would seem more sincere than that.

“Please don’t.” Roman whispered. He chuckled nervously. “I’d prefer if they didn’t know.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” Deceit said, as he noted the information he’d learned.

* * *

Logan was sitting behind a beech tree, back turned towards the camp they’d set up, holding the shard in one hand and an empty black box, with each side bent down, upon opening it, in the other. Next to him, three of the books he’d had the capacity and space to bring, were lying open. He was alone, far enough away from anyone with potentially ill intentions. He finally had the time to investigate what he’d discovered. The shard was indeed powerful. A certain energy radiated from it; unlike anything Logan had felt before. There were traces of the magic he knew of, but there was something else too. Something dominant and… All-encompassing in a sense.

Logan placed the box on the ground and traced the shard carefully with his fingers. It felt raw, a bit like some of the crystals he had studied before. It was a bit like part of a black quartz but with an energy that was a lot more difficult to harvest. Could it be harvested in the way other crystals could? Surely some similar phenomena would’ve been recorded _somewhere_. He flipped through his book on magical minerals frantically.

“Hey there Lo!” A voice said, and Logan jumped involuntarily, trying his best not to let go of the shard. As Logan looked at the source of the voice, he saw Patton, standing above him with a bright smile and curious eyes.

“Ah, hello there Patton. Did you check up on Roman?” Logan asked.

Patton’s mouth gaped for a moment, before he nodded. “Yes, I did. He had barely been harmed at all.”

Logan hummed. “That is good.”

“What are you doing?” Patton asked, glancing at the shard and gasping, “Oh! Is that the thing you found yesterday?”

“It is.” Logan confirmed with a nod, “I tried reading up on it last night. I am trying to figure out exactly what its purpose might be.”

Patton looked at the box on the ground and the shard with a contemplative expression. Then he smiled and sat down next to Logan. Logan moved a bit to the side to make room. “Did you learn anything?”

Truth be told, Logan was a bit surprised to see Patton so enthusiastic about Logan’s studies. Surely, he could find more leisurely activities to occupy himself with. It wasn’t that Logan minded the familiar company. He simply didn’t want Patton to listen out of obligation. “Well… I have a few theories, though nothing is figuratively set in stone yet.”

Patton beamed. “Wanna tell me about them?”

Logan hesitated, looked at the shard, then the books and then Patton. “I suppose if you’d be interested, I can attempt to convey my thoughts.”

“Yeah! Go on!” Patton said, leaning forward slightly as if to show his enthusiasm. Logan wasn’t used to seeing Patton excited about Logan’s research and ideas in the same way he’d show excitement towards a cute animal or a tasty cake. Though perhaps Patton’s areas of interest had expanded through the years. Logan still didn’t feel like he’d gotten to know Patton entirely again, so the version he remembered was possibly outdated.

“I was thinking that it _could_ be some variation of a previously recorded mineral. Could be some sort of quartz or liroicolite.” he paused thoughtfully, “However, it doesn’t entirely resemble anything like that. It feels… Different. More difficult and dangerous to work with.”

Patton continued to look interested, “What else could it be?”

Logan looked at another one of his books on the ground. It wasn’t open, though he had memorized its contents quite well. He licked his lips. “It is also a possibility that it is an undiscovered magical artefact, which would be a ground-breaking discovery to have made!” he briefly imagined the reception of having discovered something entirely new. The rush he would experience as people appreciated and utilized his findings. He caught himself smiling, though he recomposed himself within a second, “Yet, it still doesn’t explain the strange placement of it.”

Patton tilted his head. “What else?”

Logan looked at Patton’s whose interest hadn’t faded. Strange. Logan didn’t remember Patton having this much of an attention span when it came to Logan’s ramblings. “Those are the most… _reasonable_ theories I have as of now.”

Patton chuckled, “Any _un_ reasonable ones, then?”

Logan chuckled too, as Patton’s laugh was infectious. Then he directed his attention at a tree. Should he say? It was unlikely that Patton would understand what he was talking about. “It could be… Might be wishful thinking I suppose…” he adjusted his spectacles, “I was thinking that it could somehow be a part of the Mindsphere.”

Patton almost seemed to jump at the word, his expression faltering with confusion. “ _The Mindsphere?_ ” Patton asked with disbelief.

Logan furrowed his eyebrows. “Indeed. The artefact tha-“

“I know that the Mindsphere _is_.” Patton said, and for a moment his smile fell in a way Logan had never seen before. Had Logan said something wrong?

“Oh. I apologize. I just assumed, since you asked like that.” Logan said.

Patton smiled a little. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to seem offended. I am just a little tired. Why the Mindsphere?”

Logan looked at the shard again. “Like I said, it might just be wishful thinking. I have never seen the Mindsphere and the information available in this part of the Kingdom is… Limited to say the least.” Patton looked interested again, as Logan continued, “Though I have some theories surrounding it either way. The general knowledge is, that the Mindsphere can affect several aspects of the world, especially when manipulated by exterior forces.”

“Yes?” Patton said, like a whisper.

“It’s usually limited to the weather, shape of the landscape and other phenomena that vary in observability. Though there is evidence that more can be done, even if it mostly limited to theories, with the knowledge the general population is allowed to obtain.” Logan thought about getting to see the Mindsphere up close. While he knew it was the law, and that the law was arguably reasonable, it annoyed him slightly that the researchers who _were_ allowed to see it couldn’t at least attempt to interact with it. Research it. He sighed. “Imagine what they know in the Outskirts. It is a barren place for sure but think of all those years of research such a short journey away! If only…” he looked at Patton, whose mouth gaped. Logan trailed off and shook his head, “I apologize. That is off topic.”

It took Patton a few moments to react. “Right. So what you’re saying is, that you believe this _exterior manipulation_ of the Mindsphere might somehow have caused a part of it to… Break off?” he exhaled through his nose once, as if it was a humorous notion.

For a disquieted moment, Logan didn’t want to continue speaking. He looked at a nearby tree, closed his eyes and opened them again. He inhaled sharply. “Well, it is possible that if a part of the Mindsphere has been manipulated differently than usual recently, it may have…” he paused. “You know, I was thinking that the monsters behaving strangely might have been caused by the Sphere somehow.” the words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. It was as if the idea had been building in the back of his mind, labelled as preposterous at first. As he said everything out loud, it all became increasingly probable to him. “I mean, there was that one theory that emerged twelve years ago, surrounding the death of king-“

“Where do you keep it?” Patton blurted out suddenly.

“Huh?”

“The shard, what do you transport it in?” Patton blinked, as if he barely realized what he was saying himself. Then he smiled. “It sounds awfully important. You must keep it somewhere.”

Logan breathed, and was a little perplexed by the sudden change of subject. “I uhm… I keep it in that box.” he pointed at the box on the ground, “It’s meant for transporting magical items. I always bring it with me. It’s usually attached to my bag.”

“It looks a bit strange.” Patton said, looking at the uneven sides and ways it bent.

“It’s a puzzle box. It’s meant to be difficult to open and get out of the bag unless you know the trick.” He smiled slightly, “Or if you’re just fairly good at puzzles.”

Patton blinked. “Oh.”

Logan inspected Patton’s face. “I hope this isn’t a strange question, but what has suddenly piqued your interest in my research?”

Patton looked thoughtful for a moment, then he smiled warmly. “I’m just interested in the things you find interesting, Lo! It’s nice to hear you talking about it.”

There was a pleasant feeling in Logan’s gut, and he smiled back. “Oh. Thank you I suppose.”

* * *

The night was black, filling up the sky in a way that obscured the shadows and made it easier to hide, while leaving you vulnerable to anyone who was better at hiding than you. Virgil was rather ambivalent towards it. He used to feel a lot more comfortable and at home in the dark, staying up late, sneaking around in the streets, away from curious eyes. Before, being out in the open while the sun was out, almost seemed like a death sentence. Now, he had become increasingly fond of the sun though. The warmth and light were nice, while the fear of being seen was still present. It was pleasant to have the freedom of walking around whenever he pleased, even if the sunlight sometimes pissed him off in the morning.

Now, he found himself lying in the tent, the darkness growing ever present. He was alone, and that was uncommon. Patton had been there for a minute or two, entering the tent even later than the night before. He’d told Virgil that he was going to check up on the horses, and Virgil had acknowledged it with a nod.

But something was off. Virgil didn’t like how vague his mind was being about it, but he was growing increasingly certain. Every look he’d gotten from Patton throughout the day had seemed a little askew. It wasn’t too obvious, but every touch had seemed a little too stiff. A little too absent. Something was amiss, and as Virgil observed the shadows that turned into images that were as hard to look away from as they were to look at, he thought about what it could be. Every possible what-if scenario flew through his mind, each one leaving him feeling all sorts of emotions. The vagueness turned into fear. The fear turned into hopelessness. The hopelessness bloomed into anxiety. To Virgil’s surprise, the emotions eventually ended up merging into a strange determination. Even if Virgil was wrong, which he frequently appeared to be, checking up on Patton wouldn’t seem too suspicious.

So, Virgil crawled through the tent opening, trying to stay as quiet as possible. He heard crickets chirping in the distance, and for a moment he thought he saw something moving in the trees. As he turned his head towards the horses, he saw that Patton was in fact standing there. He was fumbling with something. At first, Virgil thought that Patton was just feeding or petting the horses in the way that would be expected, but it was as if his attention wasn’t quite there. As if he was looking at something else.

Virgil heard a tiny ‘click’ that startled him. He took a deep breath and moved closer, tiptoeing ahead as if any sound he made could cause a disaster. He wasn’t sure why. There wasn’t anything to be afraid of. He shouldn’t be afraid. He shouldn’t. There was another ‘click’ from Patton, and Virgil saw that he was standing with his hands in Logan’s bag. What was he doing there? Soon, Virgil was only standing seven feet away. He heard his own breathing shake as Patton gasped and turned around.

Patton’s expression was startled, but not in the way Virgil was used to. It was somewhat annoyed and panicked. The expression quickly shifted into a tired smile. “Oh, hello Virgil! You sure have a way with giving people quite a scare, huh?”

There wasn’t any contempt behind the words. Virgil _knew_ that, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the words were supposed to hit differently. “Uhm… Sorry. I was just wondering where you went.”

Patton giggled, but it seemed forced. “Like I said, I am going to be there in a few minutes.”

“Right… A-are you alright?” Virgil asked, studying Patton’s expression. It was almost distorted now.

“Yes, yes I am perfectly fine.” Patton said, smiling wider.

Virgil walked a little closer. He payed attention to the way Patton was speaking. The voice was deeper than usual. More rushed. Virgil glanced at the bag. “What are you doing?”

“Oh. Logan left some stuff lying around. I just wanted to put it back in his bag, so nothing happened to it.” Patton responded.

The words made sense. There was nothing illogical about them, but there was _something_ in the way Patton said them. It sounded so natural and sweet. Elegant in a way Virgil doubted Patton could pull off. Virgil’s heart started beating faster. “I heard strange noises from it.”

Patton tilted his head, with something that resembled sympathy. “Is something wrong, Virgil? You look scared.”

Virgil’s mouth was dry, and he was suddenly unsure what to do with his hands. He tapped his fingers on his arms and looked down. He looked at Patton’s tunic and the belt. A chilling feeling filled his body when he noticed that something was missing. “T-The pockets in your belt… Where are they?”

Patton looked down, and Virgil heard a discreet gasp escaping the other, in a way Virgil was certain he wasn’t supposed to hear. “It’s a different belt.” Patton said with ease.

But it wasn’t Patton. The realization struck Virgil in an instant. Like lightning that left him, alone, burning and suffocating. He felt as if he was tangled up, awaiting the inevitable moment someone would push him underwater and leave him to drown. The eyes that were looking at him expectantly didn’t hold the compassion Virgil had become used to. Patton’s hugs were warm, kind and seemed to let all sorts of wonderful feelings soar through your body in comforting waves. The way Virgil had been hugged earlier had been too fast. Too sparing and hesitant. Too inept but controlling. Virgil caught himself breathing faster, and louder as he closed his own mouth too avoid showing how he felt. The fears gripped his mind and body forcefully. “Hey, Patton I was thinking…” Virgil hardly recognized his own voice, “That cat you mother had when you were younger, that you always played with back then? The one you told me about a few days ago?”

“What about it?” Not-Patton said.

Virgil took a deep breath. “What was her name?”

“Huh?”

“What was the name of the cat? I can’t remember.” Virgil chuckled in a way that sounded compliant, though it was really just a numb sound that escaped him instinctually.

Patton looked at Virgil as if he was trying to discern exactly what Virgil wanted to achieve from the question. “Clover.” Patton answered, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Virgil reached for his pocket, as he chuckled. Patton never had a cat. Virgil knew, because Patton so desperately wanted one, but had always been allergic to them. “Oh yeah. That’s right!”

With a swift and forceful motion, Virgil pulled out one of his daggers and jumped forward, placing his free hand on Not-Patton’s shoulder. Patton was surprised and attempted to move the hand. “Virgil, what are you doing?” Not-Patton asked, in a way that sounded dazed and hurt.

Virgil placed the dagger near Not-Patton’s neck, while Not-Patton grabbed Virgil’s wrist to move the dagger away. “You’re not Patton!” Virgil spat, uncertain why his voice sounded so strained and hushed.

“What are you talking about? Virgil aren’t we friends?” Not-Patton sounded more and more hurt each moment, and while the words reached Virgil’s gut like well-placed stabs, they weren’t nearly as painful as the stabs he intended to throw at the man in front of him. It all started to make so much sense. The _lying_. The _disguise_. The name repeated itself in Virgil’s mind. There was only one person Virgil knew of who would be able to do something like that. Who would be callous and exasperating enough to show up with such fatuous words and uncertain motives.

Virgil managed to sound louder, wanting to alert Logan and Roman. “What the _fuck_ did you do with Pat-“

Abruptly, Virgil’s mouth was shut, his own hand pushing it closed with so much force that it was painful. The last words were muffled, and the dagger was dropped on the ground, nearly hitting his own foot. _Shit shit shit_.

“Nothing at all and I resent the question.” Not-Patton… Deceit said coolly. The voice dropped, sending a shiver through Virgil’s body. Virgil looked at Patton’s face, that became more distorted and _wrong_ the more he looked at it. Virgil tried to move forward, to latch on to Deceit. Keep him away from whatever he was trying to get his hands on. Absentmindedly, Deceit waved the hand that wasn’t his, causing a yellow rope to appear from it, sharply entangling Virgil, holding onto the other side of the rope in his own hand. Virgil’s only free hand was attached to his mouth, completely immovable. He wouldn’t be able to breathe through his mouth if we tried. He wanted to scream, but the only sound he was able to make was a strained and panicked hum, as if his vocal cords didn’t function the way he wanted them to. “Sorry, did you say something?” Deceit mocked, slithering towards Logan’s horse, reaching into the bag again.

Virgil watched with resentful despair, as he struggled to free himself, feeling the magical rope tightening as he did so. He breathed sharply and quickly through his nose. Virgil could tell, Deceit was no longer attempting to move like Patton. The movements were too coordinated, in a way that was difficult to deduce. It annoyed Virgil immensely. Virgil heard a few clicks from the bag, as Deceit rummaged through it.

“Ah, there we go.” Deceit whispered to himself, “A tricky one, but not too bad.” as he pulled the hand out of the bag, he was holding the shard and Virgil was overcome by a dark, addicting and powerful sensation, that made his heart beat even faster than it already did. _Of course._ Just as a part of Virgil had suspected, feared and _known_ , the shard was powerful in a sense that was useful and alluring to that fucking snake. Deceit turned his head, with an open mouth, that showed the fangs Virgil had seen so many times before. Deceit smiled in a teasing way. “Fancy seeing you around here Virgil, mucking about with these Kingdom-dwellers. Are you enjoying yourself?”

Virgil groaned within the best of his ability. Still attempting to pull away his own hand, no matter how useless the endeavour appeared to be.

Deceit walked closer to Virgil, and Virgil desperately wanted to either run away or launch himself onto the person who wasn’t Patton. He didn’t like hearing Deceit’s words coming from Patton’s mouth. “And to think you were always so _uncomfortable_ with lies. Yet here you are.” Deceit placed a single hand on Virgil’s hood, pulling it back to reveal Virgil’s grey ears. “How long do you think you’ll be able to hide these from them, hm?”

Virgil felt Deceit’s breath, and his ear twitched. Deceit was talking as if Virgil had any choice but to lie. As if he wouldn’t be stopped before he was able to say a word.

Deceit sighed disappointedly. “I have yet to understand why you were so eager to run off. To pretend to be something you’re not, as if that is something you’ve ever been good at.” Deceit pulled Virgil a little closer with the rope, and Virgil inspected the eyes that should be Patton’s. Deceit looked at Virgil’s ears. “But no matter.” Deceit tutted, “Change is coming Virgil. Whether you like it or not.” His eyes drifted to Virgil’s eyes, and Virgil felt like he could see the yellow serpentine eye under the disguise. “And you’re on the wrong side.”

Displaying the shard proudly with an irritating, mocking smile. He placed a hand on Virgil’s head. “You don’t have to be, of course. You still have the option to return. We might even let you.”

Virgil saw something like vulnerability in Deceit’s eyes, though it evaporated as quickly as it arrived. Virgil shook his head, shaking with annoyance and anger. 

“Suit yourself.” Deceit said coldly. He stepped away, and Virgil felt the rope loosening slightly. “I’m almost out of time here anyway. Say hello to your _friends_ from me, would you? It was _so nice_ to meet them. I can _definitely_ see why you’d want to waste your time on them.”

Virgil was pulled to the ground with a thump, as the yellow rope was pulled back into Deceit’s hand. Deceit ran, and as Virgil pushed himself back up, Deceit disappeared, as if he’d never been there in the first place.

Virgil breathed rapidly, feeling paler and more hopeless than before. He pulled his hood back over his ears and ran towards Roman and Logan’s tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virgil can drop one f-bomb as a treat.  
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments so far! I don't always know how to reply to them and I don't want to spam the comment section with my replies, but please know that if you've ever left I comment I've probably read it 40+ times already. They make my day. :)
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at dramaticsnakes.tumblr.com


	7. Scattered promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Hope you're doing alright!  
> Once again a big thank you to my beta-reader A Random Thing. I appreciate their help so much!!
> 
> @anxiously-creating on tumblr made fanart for this fic and I freaked the heck out so here is a link: https://anxiously-creating.tumblr.com/post/623838727014416384/anyways-yall-should-go-read-adventure-awaits-by
> 
> Tw: A bit of Remus-styled body horror, dead animal mention, cursing. Tell me if there is something else you want me to warn about!

“We can’t just walk all the way there, cub.” Patton said, already feeling sore, “We’d end up stranded when it gets dark.”  
The wolf, unsurprisingly, didn’t listen. It continued ahead, in the direction of whichever smell it had caught, though the pace was slow, as if it was waiting for Patton to follow. Patton wasn’t entirely sure what to do. On one hand, he had no sense of direction, especially not wherever he was. The wolf was the only lead he had. On the other, where had the others gone? Were they in danger? Had they been kidnapped? Had anything similar to Patton’s experience happened to them? It didn’t make any sense. They wouldn’t just leave him without announcing it. Furthermore, they had just fought that… _Monster_. For all Patton knew, all sorts of terrible things could’ve happened to them! It didn’t quite justify the disappearance of the horses though. Maybe the salesman had stolen their supplies? Patton’s head hurt once again at the thought. What had Elam Fidelio tried to gain? Did he plan on stealing their things? What if the scent the wolf had caught wasn’t the one of his friends, but rather Elam or a particularly good steak?

That being said, Patton could do with a good steak right now. He hadn’t had any lunch, and as the sun sailed across the sky, he figured the early evening was slowly approaching. His stomach was starting to growl. Patton felt a brief pain in his side, reminding him of the wound he’d gotten. In the strange situation, he’d almost forgotten all about it. “Hold on.” he whispered, either directed at the wolf, himself, or simply to break the silence. He stopped, placing one hand above the wound in his side. He didn’t have any clean cloth or any herbs to ease it, but hopefully he could at least extract whatever he’d been stung with.

The wolf continued ahead for a little but turned its head once it noticed that Patton was no longer following. Patton felt the soft waves inside him, pushing through the palm of his hand. It stung a little, but there was something easing about it, nonetheless. It wasn’t a complete treatment, but it was better than nothing. He looked at the wolf, and the second they made eye contact, the wolf started walking again. Occasionally it stopped, sniffing various spots on the ground. Patton was incredibly curious as to what went on in its mind. What was it trying to do? Patton couldn’t help but feel that the wolf possibly considered him a friend. There was a certain mutual understanding between them, Patton thought. They were in this together. Whatever ‘ _this’_ was.

They continued onwards for a while longer, and Patton felt his steps becoming more languid each minute. His energy was running out. Once or twice he’d stopped by a shrub, to inspect its berries. He’d managed to collect two handfuls of red berries he knew weren’t poisonous. The wolf had curiously approached him, and Patton had shared his findings accordingly. If only there were more of them.

The sky became darker, and Patton knew he couldn’t make it to wherever his friends were before nightfall, if they had truly had travelled to another place without him. That was a problem. Logan and Roman both stressed the importance of making it to a safe spot before dark, and it was common knowledge that a night outside of a town would be unpredictable and cold. If only Patton could make it to a nearby village or just somewhere that was closed off and hidden. Not that he particularly liked the idea of sleeping on the ground (again), without any food or plan, but it was better than getting eaten by a monster. What if there were more magraneas around? Patton shivered. A single tear crept forward in his eye. It wasn’t that he felt hopeless. He rarely did. Maybe it was just the exhaustion or just because he barely knew where any of his friends were. Maybe it was just hunger and uncertainty.

That was when Patton saw the figure of a person in the distance. They were quite far ahead of him, and Patton wondered how long they’d been there. More importantly, he wondered where they were headed. The slender figure walked slowly, but they clearly had a goal in mind. It ignited a spark of hope in Patton’s chest. “Hey! Excuse me!” he yelled. The wolf stared at him confusedly, but the figure didn’t react. Patton ran ahead, but the wolf didn’t follow right away. “Do you have a minute?” 

The figure continued ahead. Patton ran, and the second he reached the figure’s side, he tried again. “Excuse me?”

The person finally turned their head, looking Patton up and down, with a slightly disinterested look. He wore a single eyepatch, and a dark hood. His fashion sense would remind Patton of Virgil if it wasn’t for the boots and how strangely fashionable his coat looked. He wore a belt around his waist. His lips were particularly highlighted, causing Patton to think that the man was using some sort of cosmetics. Though since it was getting darker it wasn't too visible. He had a leather shoulder bag. “Yeah?”

“Where are you headed?” Patton asked, hoping for the best. He couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated by the man. It could be the judgemental slightly visible eye that seemed to burn into his soul, but Patton didn’t want to make assumptions about anyone.

“None of your business, honey.” The man replied with a shrug.

Patton squinted and his mouth became a thin line. “Sorry, I’m just a bit lost. Do you know where the nearest town is?”

The man raised his eyebrows, listening a bit more than he had previously. He was just about to sigh when his eyes fell upon the wolf, following Patton. He jumped backwards. “Holy sh-“

The wolf walked closer to the man curiously. While the man was clearly shocked, he looked mostly dumbfounded. He looked from the wolf to Patton. “Is that yours?”

Patton looked at the wolf. “Not exactly? It just kind of… Followed me?”

The man scoffed and looked at the wolf with a disbelieving look in his eyes. “A _wolf_ just followed you?” he eyed Patton, seemingly re-evaluating the entire situation, “Just a regular day where a wolf starts following you, without _any_ sign of hostility?”

Patton sighed, a little resigned. “This day has been far from normal, honestly.”

“Oh, there’s a story there I can _tell._ ” the man said, raising an eyebrow, “Travelling around with a wolf, looking…” he looked Patton up and down, and his eyes lingered on several spots on his clothes and hair. Then he gave an almost teasing smile. “Beaten up to say the least… That’s kinda badass.”

“Uhm… Thank you?” Patton said, not knowing how to interpret that comment, “Do you know where the nearest town is? I need a place to stay for the night and I am honestly not sure where I am.”

The man chuckled. “Sure, it’s right up ahead. There’s a party going on tonight.”

“Is that where you’re going?” Patton asked curiously.

“Sure is.” the man replied.

Patton felt a rush of relief. “Could you show me the way there?”

The man glanced at the wolf. He shrugged. “Why not? Though, I’m not so sure your friend there would be enthusiastically welcomed too.”

Ah right. Wolfs weren’t particularly normal pets. Patton bit his lip. “I can try at least. Maybe it won’t follow me for that long anyway.”

The man snorted. “Suit yourself.” he turned around and started walking. He didn’t appear to wait for Patton, simply assuming the other would follow.

Patton rushed after him. “Thank you so much! I really needed this. What is your name by the way?”

Patton was walking by the side, where an eyepatch covered the man’s eye, so he couldn’t quite see his expression. “Why don’t you call me… Sleep?”

Patton furrowed his eyebrows. “Why?”

The man turned his head to Patton again and looked him up and down. He looked underneath Patton’s eyes, and Patton wondered if there were visible bags there. “Because you desperately need me.” he said, winking with his visible eye almost flirtatiously.

Patton wasn’t sure what to reply to that. He giggled. “Alrighty.”

“But S is fine.” the man, S, said, “How about you wolf-whisperer?”

“I’m Patton!”

S gave Patton a tired smile. “Nice to meet you, Patton. Now…” he started walking without making eye contact, “Why don’t you tell me _all_ about this far-from-normal day of yours, hon?”

“Well… It’s a bit of a long story…” Patton started.

“Give me the gist of it. How’d you end up all the way out here?” S asked.

Patton looked at the sky thoughtfully as his stomach growled yet again. He did his best to ignore it. “I was on my way to the capital with my friends, when we met this salesman named Elam Fidelio. He was hurt, so I offered to help him. My friends went into the forest to hunt down a monster.”

S briefly looked at Patton, and Patton caught a very evaluating look in his visible eye. “Why’d they have to hunt down a monster?”

“They wanted to retrieve Elam’s supplies. He’d been hurt by the monster and all that. I stayed back to heal him, but…” he trailed off.

“Lemme guess…” S said, “He wasn’t as nice as he appeared to be?”

“I mean, I can’t say for sure. He did stab me with something though.” Patton felt that the sentence was somewhat contradictory of itself and he noticed S exhaling through his nose, “Well… Ha… I woke up on the ground a while later when this one found me.” Patton carefully placed a hand on the wolf’s head to pet it. It accepted it. The wolf didn’t seem convinced that they were headed in the right direction but followed the two men anyway. They hadn’t changed course entirely either, so maybe the wolf didn’t mind too much.

S scoffed. “Yeah, I figured it’d be something like that.” He clicked his tongue once, “It doesn’t seem you’ve learned anything from it either considering you just told me all of that. If there is any lesson you should’ve gotten out of that situation, I’d say it should be not trusting random strangers.”

Patton couldn’t help but feel slightly hurt by the words. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been called naïve before. People liked to throw that at him every once in a while. People would say he was stupid and childish for trusting others. Patton didn’t quite see it like that. He tried his best to see the best in people, and while it didn’t always end well, there were a lot of times where it did. It wasn’t that Patton was unaware of the bad things in the world. He’d seen it plenty of times. But just because the world was bad sometimes, didn’t mean it would discourage him from showing a bit of kindness when he was able. It wouldn’t prevent him from putting more good into the world. “Maybe.” Patton just said. He thought for a moment. “I just hope the others are okay.”

“A bunch of _heroes_ apparently.” S said, but it didn’t seem spiteful, “Do you know what happened to ‘em?”

Patton felt something heavy sinking down inside him. “I don’t really.” he said, “The wolf caught the scent of _something_ but I am still not sure it’s them.” he felt the tears from earlier creeping up on him, but he tried his best not to let it show too much.

“Damn. You’re really in some deep shit, huh?” S said. That was some more blunt language than what Patton was used to, but he wasn’t one to judge.

“I guess. I mean, Roman and Virgil are good at fighting in their own ways, and Logan is incredibly intelligent.” Patton said. He noticed that S tensed up slightly.

“Virgil?” S asked, though it didn’t seem like he was looking for clarification. “Oh.” After a pause he placed a hand on the side of his face and groaned, “Oh for _fuck's_ sake.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, sweetie.” S said.

* * *

Remus was drawing. He always liked doing that. Each penstroke on the paper, shaped the images in his mind, for others’ viewing pleasure. He’d done it for many years. At first people had looked at some of the things he created with concerned glances, but now he wasn’t judged for his creations anymore. In fact, Deceit had always had a habit of rewarding it, looking at each creation respectfully and even offering his own input at times. He always suggested ways to make the creation more effective. More useful. Remus wasn’t always too keen on the things he made having a use, but it had proven to make great results. It especially had results now, that the creations weren’t two-dimensional. Now that they could have a beating heart and some mind of their own. Now that a single line on a piece of paper, could cause very real chaos.

Remus was focused. He kept his eye on the page and the pen in his hand. He kept an eye on the image as he imagined how it would move around. How it would _feel_ to move around if he was it. He ignored the fifteen scattered pieces of paper with unfinished sketches around him. He was making something. Drawing, drawing, drawing, as he felt his gut being pulled in every possible direction by an invisible force. Remus never considered himself a liar. He bit his lip a bit too hard as he concluded that he wasn’t completely fucking okay. It was fine really. He didn’t have to be. He just had to work and draw and create the things he dreamed up in the moment. And under no circumstances should he think about- no no no.

Remus barely heard it when heavy steps moved down the hall. He tightened the grip around his pen and focused on the sound of it brushing across the paper harshly. His strokes became bolder and less refined as he darkened the side of the liver…

“Remus?” a familiar and soft voice said. Remus’ head jerked up and his muscles tensed up momentarily. He was met with the sight of Deceit, turning a corner. Deceit observed Remus as he was sitting on the floor right outside of Remus’ room. Remus wondered what he looked like to the other. Pathetic most likely. His hair messy as if he’d just had the best shag of his life, but without any of the passion. ”Oh! Welcome back Double-D!” Remus yelled, his voice a little louder and shakier than anticipated. He grinned. “How’d it go?”

Deceit’s breathing was noticeable and rhythmic as if he’d been running. He looked dishevelled. “All according to plan.” he simply said.

“Really?” Remus asked, as he continued to sketch. He shouldn’t stop yet.

Deceit looked Remus up and down, like someone might do if they were judging their fuckability, or well, in this situation it was more like Remus had grown five extra noses. “I got what we needed.”

“Neat!” Remus said, “How’s the fucker in the woods doing?”

Deceit scoffed. “Whatever his standard for being alright is, most likely. He wasn’t there to kick me out when I came back, so I assume he has gone out.”

“D’ya know if he ate the rat yet? Or put it up on the wall? That cottage could use some decorating.”

Deceit chuckled, and Remus caught a glimmer of fondness in his eyes. Remus had rarely seen that coming from anyone who wasn’t Deceit, and he appreciated it each time. Even now, it seemed to stop the forces from pulling at his organs for a breath. “He didn’t say where he put it, but he did mention it. I believe he appreciated the sentiment.”

“Huh.” Remus said after a moment. He didn’t know what he’d expected. The fact that Remy had even remembered and told Deceit about it was strange on its own. Remy’s memory was fleeting for various reasons and the idea that Remus had done something memorable, made him want to go out there and search for more rat corpses. Maybe he should get even more creative next time. It could potentially be sown together with something else. Remus shook his head, to fill the silence and prevent the conversation from taking a different turn than the one he wanted. “I’m working on a new creature! What if I used a liver of a chimera as the _body_ and gave it three different feet to suit its original form. I’ve already made _one_ blind creature recently, so I figured I could get creative and mix the eyes up with the genita-”

“Remus.” Deceit interrupted cautiously.

Remus was still sketching, but he wasn’t sure if he was sketching the right thing anymore. “Yes?”

Deceit walked a little closer. Remus didn’t miss a single step or glance, pressing a little harder at each one. “Are you alright?”

So much for controlling the conversation. The pen stopped moving for a moment. That was a great question, that Deceit likely already knew the answer to. People didn’t ask if people were alright unless they were acting significantly not-alright, and Remus once again found himself unable to hide his not-alrightness. What was the point of hiding it anyway? Deceit was able to see through most people, and since Remus and Deceit had been around each other for so many years, Remus hardly had any emotional privacy anymore. Privacy wasn’t any fun anyway. Remus often found himself wondering how many fascinating secrets people held. It would be a lot of fun if Remus could see them all. Each naked body, and dark family mystery. Remus tutted thoughtfully, partially to get himself to stop thinking and start saying something. “I feel like a dragon who turned into iron, was set on fire, and melted into another dragon, after which the iron-turning-spell was reversed, so that the dragons are now a mess of melted flesh, organs, pained screams and misshapen bones.” he grinned, hoping that what he’d said described it well. It was the first image that came to mind, as he attempted to describe his exact feelings. A funny image too. “Does that make sense?”

Remus looked at Deceit expectantly as Deceit’s expression went through a variety of thoughts in a matter of seconds. Remus knew that look. Deceit was analysing the situation, trying to figure out what the right thing to say was. Ha. Deceit sighed sympathetically, and Remus wondered if he was giving up on something. “Do you… Want to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Remus said, almost instinctively.

“I saw the… Your…” Deceit tried awkwardly.

Saw… his… what? Remus narrowed his eyes and studied Deceit’s expression, trying to mimic the way Deceit always did that. What had Deceit done while he was out there? After a moment, the realization dawned upon Remus and his eyes widened. Oh. Oh well. So much for not thinking about it. His expression slowly warped into a grin again. “Aaah yes. You saw that too, hm? Funny news. Bloody brilliant, really. But it doesn’t matter. We’re busy, aren’t we?”

“With all due respect, Remus, clearly it _does_ matter.” Deceit said.

Remus wasn’t sure why, but the way Deceit said it made him feel exposed. Not in the fun way, either. He clenched his fist. “No no no, we have a plan we need to work on. You got the shard, now we just need to prepa-”

“Remus.” Deceit said, his voice suddenly softer. A little more vulnerable. Remus locked eyes with him, and there was a moment of silent eye-contact, as if they were both anticipating for the other to do something. Eventually Deceit spoke, “Remus, I know feelings can be difficult little bastards to deal with, and you don’t have to speak of it now.” Deceit took a deep breath, and Remus bit his tongue, “But if you want to, at any point in time… I’m here.”

The words felt broken. Bitter-sweet. Like an ancient promise that’d been through the digestive system of a cow one too many times, or perhaps a more elegant metaphor than that. Elegant metaphors weren't Remus’ strong suit (unlike his birthday suit. Ha). He could almost feel the words as they slipped off of Deceit’s tongue, presumably truthful, but not quite fitting. Misplaced like an octopus in a bird’s nest. A grey mark on a Kingdom-dweller. A Remus around... Anyone who wasn’t mismatched or misplaced too. Even people who were misplaced didn’t seamlessly fit in with Remus anymore. For a brief moment, the image of Virgil flashed across Remus’ mind. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes with fearful eyes, but Remus remembered when he was always there regardless. Then Remus imagined Virgil in a puddle of goo with his eyes halfway ripped out of his skull. Remus didn’t feel much at the image. “Deceit, we’re busy. I don’t… It doesn’t matter!”

“We have time.” Deceit said, misplaced once again. “This entire situation is more hectic than usual. If you need to talk about Ro-”

Remus felt the need to interrupt Deceit before he said the name. “I get it!” he said, "But he's just a stepping stone!” the words hung in the air, and Remus stood up, leaning against the wall behind him. “Just like Virgil… the hugger guy… the nerdy hot one… Heck, king Thomas himself!" he made eye-contact with Deceit, his own eyes wide, as if he’d been struck by a sudden passion. He leaned forward, and pointed towards Deceit, " _Your_ job is to _step on them_ , and _my_ job…” he pointed towards himself, hardly moving the rest of his body at all. His eyes didn’t leave Deceit for a second, but he hardly noticed the other’s expression. Then he started gesturing vividly, “...Is to help you _BASH_ them into the ground until nothing, but their screaming heads are visible as you _crush_ their skulls underneath your heels!"

There was a gasp from Deceit. Some type of amusement, that made Remus grin. "I don’t wear heels." Deceit stated.

"You should. You’d look hot in ‘em." Remus said, his tone not faltering, holding up his finger and jumping back against the wall. It was as if some of the tension in the air disappeared, which made Remus realize there had been tension in the first place. A deep and threatening tension, that hinted towards something breakable. Remus liked breaking things, but whatever it was in the air that was so fragile, he didn’t want to risk breaking _that_.

“Why thank you. I’ll consider it.” Deceit said, and Remus liked seeing the smile on Deceit’s face. It felt like one of the rough strings pulling at his insides was cut in two.

“Neat! Now let’s get to work!” Remus said with a jump, as he leaned down to gather up the pieces of paper on the ground. While Deceit didn’t usually mind when the place was a bit messy, Remus didn’t want to leave his sketches around. He feared that Deceit would read too much into them.

“Remus, I’m not opposed to getting started right away.” Deceit said, and Remus froze as he awaited the inevitable ‘but’ in that sentence (ha, butt) “But are you sure there’s nothing you want to talk about. I’ll listen… I’ll help.”

Remus listened to the promises and swallowed something in his throat. He stood up straight and looked Deceit in the eyes. Then he looked down, and the words that followed were silent, dark and truthful. "...Not now..."

* * *

Roman never really liked waking up early in the morning. It had sometimes been a must, once he travelled and had different jobs all around, but sleeping in was something he’d always enjoyed. He didn’t like waking up before it was absolutely necessary. Roman often preferred to stay up late into the night, thinking, imagining, writing and the like. There was something about night-time that brought out all the greatest (if not incomprehensible) ideas and thoughts. His dad used to chuckle and say that it was probably signs of the dreams Roman was supposed to be having, as he was supposed to be asleep by then.

Roman was, as a matter of fact, asleep when he was woken up by a shaking, shouting voice and some aggressive taps at the outside of the tent. “L-Logan? Roman? I-it’s important please wake up! Shit…”

Roman was dazed, and his entire body was heavy, but the shaky urgency of the voice outside caused him to sit up as fast as he could, rubbing his eyes. He noticed Logan doing the same, though his movements were more coordinated, as he reached for his spectacles. Logan then crawled towards the tent opening, wearing a different dark robe than when he did during the day. He went outside, and Roman furrowed his eyebrows, reached for his sword, and followed. “Virgil? What is the matter of importance you are speaking of?” Logan asked.

Once Roman made it out of the tent he saw Virgil. The bags under his eyes were visible even in the dark, and Roman suddenly wondered if they were highlighted intentionally. Strands of Virgil’s hair pointed in all sorts of directions and his face somehow looked paler than usual. There wasn’t a hint of snarky comments on the tip of his tongue and barely a hint of life in his eyes. His expression was serious, shocked and panicked. His breathing hurried and heavy. “Patton- he- I- Shit…”

Logan looked at Virgil with a professional expression. “Take a deep breath Virgil…”

Virgil shook his head, "No, I don't have time for-"

Logan stood up next to Virgil. For a moment, Roman thought Logan was about to place a hand on Virgil's shoulder, but he didn't. Logan simply stood next to Virgil, quite a bit taller than the other. Logan's breathing was visibly controlled. Rhythmic as if it had consistently been that way for years on end. "Whatever urgent matter you need to inform us about, breathing should logically speaking be a priority." Once again, Roman found himself withholding a snort at Logan's matter-of-factly way of speaking. Though a part of his heart was beating with apprehension. Something was clearly wrong.

Virgil looked up at Logan, his breathing still hurried. He nodded with resignation.

"Good. Breathe in for four seconds." Logan said calmly. Virgil did as instructed. Roman felt his own heart rate increasing a little. Where was Patton in all of this? He looked over Virgil's shoulder as Logan guided him through a breathing exercise. Roman tapped his fingers on the grip of his sword, trying to remain patient without jumping to too many conclusions prematurely.

Once Virgil's breathing was somewhat steady, he spoke in a voice that was clear, though it sounded a bit hoarse. "Patton. That man that was with us? That wasn't Patton."

Roman stiffened, "W-what do you mean by that?"

"H- someone," Roman noticed Virgil's hand twitching lightly, "Someone was disguised as Patton s-somehow. He was pretending to be him to steal that weird shard."

"How would he manage that?" Logan asked, and though he seemed unfazed, Roman noticed how his voice was a little less certain. A little less controlled. "It shouldn't be possible to mimic Patton's appearance, voice and behaviour to that extent. What brought you to this conclusion?"

Virgil breathed in, sharply "I saw him. He was looking through your supplies, Logan! Damn it I… He ran off." As Roman watched Virgil speak, he couldn't help but think that Virgil wasn't telling the whole truth.

"When?" Roman asked trying not to sound as frightened as he felt, "When did he switch places with Patton?"

"I-" Virgil said, clenching his fist and sighing, "I don't know. It could've been at any point really. I was thinking it could've been that salesman-"

"That isn't theoretically possible." Logan stated, "No known magic can cause that sort of alteration to one's appearance. Powerful illusions are indeed possible, but your appearance and figure would stay the same. Unless of course we were talking about curses but those can't transform a human into another human, and they're forbidden in the first pla-" Logan stopped talking and looked at Virgil's distressed expression. His eyes softened, "Where did the culprit go?"

"H-he ran off." Virgil just said, "We wouldn't be able to catch up. He was teleporting I think. I wouldn't have caught up with him myself at least…"

"And Patton?"

Virgil took a deep breath, and the words came out, clearer and harsher than all the others, "I don't know." he started breathing faster once again, " _Anything_ could've happened to him. I don't know what that s- man would've done. Logan, we have to find him…!"

No. No no no, if Patton hadn't been Patton for so long that meant that… Roman thought of Patton, sitting in his and Logan's tent a few hours prior, smiling so genuinely at Roman when he…

"I see…" Logan said, his tone hushed and hesitant. After a beat he continued, “Do we have any clues to his whereabouts?”

_Your secret is safe with me._

Roman clenched his fist and breathed heavily. If it wasn’t Patton, who was it? Roman felt exposed, weak, broken, and left behind. It was as if something was watching him, taking note of his every move. Someone _knew_ … Some stranger with ill intentions _knew_ …

“He could’ve been kidnapped, thrown in a dungeon, cursed…”

How could Roman have been so reckless?

“Virgil, while none of your options are impossible, we should consider the amount of time the culprit had to switch places with Patton. It couldn’t have been long.”

“But-” Virgil cut himself off and closed his eyes, “Right… You’re right.”

Roman attempted to pay attention to the exchange taking place before him, but his mind was buzzing with so many other things. Bittersweet memories that stung, the face that wasn’t Patton’s, the reassurance that wasn’t real. Of _course,_ it wasn’t real.

“Do we have enough evidence that this is exactly what happened?” Logan asked

Virgil sighed with impatient exasperation. “I _saw_ it Logan. We need to go _now_. Patton isn’t here. He is in danger!”

“I suppose so, but…” Logan trailed off, "Nevermind."

Roman felt like he was floating above his own body. It couldn’t be right. He felt his heartbeat, and a knot in his stomach. Who was it that knew? What did they intend to do with the information? Was it important to them at all? Maybe it was just a step in the plan to get the shard, but it seemed so… Sinister. The way someone had infiltrated their group and stared at Roman with fake caring eyes. Why would anyone do such a thing?

“Are you coming?” Roman’s head jerked up at the sound of Virgil’s voice.

“Yes.” Roman heard himself say, but he felt disconnected from it.

Logan frowned. "Roman are you well?"

"Yes!" Roman tried, but his voice was hoarse and telling.

“Roman?” Virgil said. Roman looked directly at the roguish man, whose expression was some mixture of panicked and annoyed.

Something was off. Very off. Roman’s breathing became more controlled for a few moments as he observed the position of the other’s eyebrows, and the way he fiddled with his sleeve. Roman felt the knot in his stomach tightening as his expression became stern. “What aren’t you telling us, Virgil?”

“Huh?” Virgil tried, seemingly dumbfounded.

“So, what, you just saw some guy run off with the shard in the night? What were you doing out here in the first place?” Roman chuckled humorlessly, “You haven’t given us _any_ details about the appearance of the culprit or how he made it to the shard!”

Virgil huffed and tightened the grip around his own sleeve. “That’s because I-”

“You just expect us to believe that someone used some impossible illusion magic, what, to get some shard?” Roman interrupted, “And what’s with all of these ‘maybes’ and ‘I don’t knowses’? You said you _saw_ him do it!” Virgil’s hand twitched again, “So, Virgil what aren’t you telling us? You’re clearly hiding something.”

Roman saw Logan scratching his head out of the corner of his eyes as Virgil’s eyes widened. “I-” Virgil looked angry, distressed even. Virgil breathed sharply, “ _I’m_ hiding something? Are you kidding me!?” Roman furrowed his eyebrows as Virgil’s voice rose in volume.

“I don’t think we should-” Logan tried, but Virgil didn’t react.

“And what is it that _you’re_ hiding Roman? Huh?” Virgil mimicked Roman’s voice “‘ _Can we please go into a tent or something to check on my very secret but apparently non-existent wound, Patton?_ ’” Virgil’s mouth closed abruptly as he stared at Roman with a calculative and stern expression. It was as if he just then realized something. “You know, you seemed _awfully_ eager to be alone with him. What the heck was that about?” his breathing became shaky once again, “For all we know, you could’ve been working with whoever did it! Maybe _you_ were the one who kidnapped Patton! Or maybe you were just conspiring with him in there!”

Roman felt every muscle inside of him tightening with each word. What could he even say to that? “Well you and Patton had plenty of time to make plans too! You slept in the same tent, you rode next to each other for most of the journey here… You’re the one who used to be a Cadaverous and rancorous thief!”

“Gentlemen-” Logan said.

“None of us even know who you are! You just waltzed in here and made yourself at home! At least Patton knows me, and Logan knows Patton. What are _you_ here for!?”

The statement felt like a stab to Roman’s heart and he continued yelling almost instinctively, “Oh, because _you’ve_ been _so_ eager to share information about who _you_ are have you?”

“Oh, for the love of-” Logan mumbled.

“You’re hiding something from us! I can _tell_ you’re lying!” Virgil said.

“I am certain that _you’re_ lying! You’re clearly nervous!”

“That’s because you’re accusing me of something I didn’t do! _Anyone_ would be nervous!

“You probably just want to look for Patton so that you can lead us into your trap!”

“So, you _don’t_ want to look for Patton? How dense are you!?”

“JUST ‘CHILL OUT’ FOR TWO SECONDS!” Logan suddenly yelled, which caused Roman and Virgil to turn their heads towards him at the same time. Roman was shaking, but he wasn’t sure if it was anger or distress. Virgil was shaking too. Logan cleared his throat. “I believe that’s the right term at least. We can stand here and bicker all night, but that doesn’t lead us anywhere.” he said matter-of-factly. His tone was much calmer than what Roman and Virgil’s had just been, though it was clear that he was affected by the tense situation as well. “We have to devise a reasonable plan, and we can only do that, if we work together peacefully…” he paused and smiled half-heartedly, “Or you could just listen to me I suppose.”

Roman glanced at Virgil, who glanced at Roman at that exact moment. Roman quickly looked away again. He felt a single tear in his eye, that he didn’t want either of them to see. Showing it now wouldn’t help anyone. “And what’s your plan Specs?” Roman said. His voice was low and a little deeper than before.

“I’d say the best course of action would be to look through our camp for potential clues, the culprit might have left behind.” Logan said, “After which we should retrace our steps. I believe I’d be able to keep a light spell going for a little while if we don’t have a better light source, but we should be ready for a fight if we plan on going during the night.”

“...Nice rhyme.” Roman whispered. Virgil huffed.

“Yelling and accusing one another, with no significant evidence, however reasonable that might seem to you, will only make it a lot more difficult to handle the situation at hand. We can discuss the exact nature of the crime later, but for now we should simply look for clues. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes…” Roman said with a compliant nod.

“Yeah…” Virgil mumbled.

* * *

As the night approached, Patton cast a light spell in his hand, to keep their path lit. S glanced at Patton’s hand as he did so but didn’t comment on it. They walked mostly in silence. Patton tried to observe the other with caution and interest. S seemed like he knew his way around those parts, walking ahead with little to no glances anywhere else. Either he didn’t care much for the surroundings, or he’d simply seen them many times before. S did turn his head towards the wolf occasionally, sending a laid-back grin. He found that many of S’ actions could be described as laid-back. Disinterested in a sense, but not without exceptions or hints of a well-hidden glow. Patton had an urge to break through it, to see just a little more of the glow the acquaintance was hiding, but he did his best to ignore it.

The landscape around them changed and narrowed into a path that was clearly made by humans. Soon, Patton could see houses in the distance, faint light illuminating the windows and street-corners, and his heart soared with relief. S nodded ahead. “That’s the bitch.”

“Huh?”

“The village. I forgot its name.” S said with a shrug.

Patton beamed. “It looks very snug. Nice and comfy.”

Patton could hear hints of music ahead of them. He thought of Roman, and how he would probably have loved to play music in a lively village like that. “Snug’s not the word I’d use to describe… Anything really, but you do you I guess.” S said. He bit his lip, “Now, about that wolf…”

“Yeah?” Patton said, looking at the furry companion beside him. It had followed them devotedly all the way there. It was as if it relied on Patton for whatever reason. Where was its pack?

S raised an eyebrow. “It’s very unlikely it’ll be let into the village, let alone the tavern.” he adjusted the shoulder bag, “If you wanna make a good first impression, it’d probably be best to leave it out here for the time being. Not that I’m personally opposed to bringing it. Could be fun to see those bitches running around aimlessly.”

“Be nice, mister…” Patton muttered, almost inaudibly.

At least he thought so until he saw S chuckling flatly. “Whatever, gramps.” he snickered, almost as if he was having an inside joke with himself. Patton’s half-smile faltered. S looked at Patton again with a neutral expression, gesturing to the wolf. “So, what are you gonna do with it?”

Patton thought about it for a little. He looked at their surroundings. They were standing on a path, a few trees surrounding it. Perhaps he could tie it to a tree? He no longer had the rope he’d been tied up with (good riddance, honestly), but maybe he could get some somewhere?. On the other hand, if the wolf could free Patton from a rope, it could very likely free itself, and the thought of leaving it out there on its own was heartbreaking. He imagined the wolf attempting to follow Patton and S to no avail, pulling at the rope and whimpering. Maybe it wasn’t a realistic scenario. The wolf wasn’t his after all. Though that was just it. Wolves were meant to be free and demanding that it should stay in one place when it was following him on its own accord didn’t feel right. Yet again, if the wolf followed them into the village, the people there might get the wrong idea. “I don’t know.” Patton said, an unpleasant uncertainty rushing through his body, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt or anything…”

S sighed. “Well that doesn’t get you anywhere.”

“Guess not…” Patton said. He smiled jokingly. “It’ll be _ruff_ to come up with something before it gets _bark_.”

S made a noise that was something between a snort and a groan, which only made Patton smile wider. “Ha. A witty one.”

“Do you have any ideas?” Patton asked.

S huffed. “Hey, I’m not an idea guy. I just wanna see how this ends before I head inside to make questionable life choices.”

Patton frowned. “That doesn’t sound like a good mentality to have.”

S looked Patton up and down. He shrugged. “Yeah well, what can ya do?”

Patton felt something twist uncomfortably in his gut. He was rarely entirely certain how to address people who said stuff like that, especially not when he didn't know them well. It was so easy to say the wrong thing, and the chances that they gave you any credibility on the matter was slim. “Maybe not much, but… Take care of yourself, alright?”

S chuckled once again, but it was less flat and cold. As Patton looked at the visible eye, he detected something that could be some sort of faint fondness. “You’re like a _dad_. It suits you.”

“Uhm... Thank you?” Patton said, tilting his head and smiling sheepishly.

“For real, honey, don’t worry about me. I’m practicing self-care and all, honest.”

“Alright.” Patton said. He didn’t know if the statement could be trusted. Maybe it was only a half-truth, but he knew very little about the man.

S looked at the village, seemingly deep in thought. “What are you even planning to do when you make it in there anyway?”

“Huh?” Patton asked, though he knew exactly what the other had said. “I uhm… I don’t know…”

“You’re stuck out here. You don’t have any idea where your friends are, except you know that the wolf _might_ have caught their scent and now you’re lost, sleepy, hungry and confused.”

Patton grasped the edge of his little blue cape, clinging to it harder with each word. He felt the tears from earlier in his eye, but he tried to keep them at bay. Not now. “I… I guess… I…”

S locked eyes with Patton for a moment, and Patton noticed that the other’s lips were slightly parted. Then S closed his mouth tightly and observed Patton with an expression that was skeptical with a hint of… sympathy perhaps, but a reluctant kind. “Ugh…” he said, and Patton felt as if a grip was strengthening around his gut. “You were going to the capital, right?”

“Y-yeah?” Patton said, looking up nervously.

“You have a job or whatever there, that you need to do, completely independent from your companions?”

Patton froze. “I mean, I guess so. I still want them to be there th-“

“Yeah yeah, whatevs.” S said. It took Patton a moment to realize that ‘whatevs’ was probably a strange way of saying ‘whatever’. While the words sounded a little rude and rushed, he wasn’t sure how to take them. “But you need to make it to the capital no matter what, right? So, you technically have a goal in mind.”

Patton nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“How ‘bout this…” S said, locking eyes with a confused wolf. “There might be some travellers in there, who are headed in the same direction. Maybe they have a wagon or something. If you pay them, they might give you a ride.”

“I- I’m afraid I don’t have any money on me…” Patton said, politely, “And the wolf’s still there. I don’t know if I can just leave it here…”

S groaned and facepalmed with a sigh. “Y’know you’re making this a _lot_ harder than it needs to be.”

Patton wiped a tear away from his eye before it became too prominent. “Look, I’m sorry… I just…”

“No no.” S said, and Patton’s head jerked up. He studied the other’s face. S’ expression was thoughtful, but it wasn’t looking at him. S paused. “I… I’ll talk to them.”

“What do you mean?” Patton asked, baffled to where the conversation was going at that point.

“Right, dad guy…” S said, looking at Patton with a wry but hesitant smile. For a strange moment, Patton wondered if the other even remembered his name. “You stay here with your new bestie, and I’ll go see if I can get you and the wolf a ride. Don’t rely too much on it, though. I’m not shitty enough to make promises, and this little conundrum of yours is the furthest thing from my problem. ‘Kay?”

Patton huffed once in a way that sounded like a mix of feeling dumbfounded and pleasantly surprised. “Are… Are you sure?”

“Don’t make it seem any more meaningful than it has to b-“

“Oh, thank you thank you thank you!” Patton exclaimed excitedly as he jumped forward to hug the other. It seemed appropriate somehow, and he couldn’t quite contain his happiness. There was a chance he’d make it somewhere safe soon. Patton stopped a moment before he hugged S, to make sure S wouldn’t step away. S looked surprised to say the least, but he let out his arms in a way that could resemble both a shrug and a hugging position.

Patton hugged S happily. S seemed a little tense in the hug, simply patting Patton’s head awkwardly. “Ha. Cute. We can always flirt some other time, hon.”

Patton didn’t respond to the last bit, pulling away from the hug slowly to make sure it didn’t overstay its welcome. “Thank you. Really. I appreciate it.”

“It’s whatever, babe.” S said, in a tone that seemed almost desperately nonchalant, whatever that meant.

“I just wish I could… Tell my friends where I am somehow. I want to know where they are too. I… I need to know they’re safe.”

“Yeah, well, can’t have it all.” S said with a scoff. “Could always try writing them a letter or something.”

“I could, but I have no way to get it to them. I don’t know where they are.” Patton stated, with a sad and uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He felt drenched in guilt for some reason, though, maybe it was just hunger.

S sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. “Tell you what…” he kept his eyes fixed on the village. “Guess I’m on some sort of good-deed streak this decade. Find a pen, write a letter down somewhere before I go, and I’ll see if I can find a way to get it to them.”

Patton furrowed his eyebrows. “How?”

“I dunno, a messenger falcon or something.” S said, “Just uh, tell me what one of your friends looks like I guess.”

Patton didn’t know if that was how messenger falcons worked. He didn’t know much about them to be honest. “Would that work?”

“Sure.” S said, “But first, let’s see if I can even get you a ride. No use getting your hopes up.”

* * *

As Logan looked through his bags, he realized that someone had clearly tampered with the box his shard was in before. The magical barrier was clearly gone now, but as Logan recalled the events from earlier, he found it somewhat remarkable he hadn’t noticed something sooner. When he’d gotten the shard from his bag to inspect it, the magical barrier had simply behaved differently. It was more refined than he was used to, but also a little less structured. He hadn’t thought much of it, then. He must’ve been too caught up in his own thoughts to realize. That was an issue. Keeping an eye on your surroundings was ideal. Maybe they would’ve noticed something was off sooner.

Not to mention the entire exchange he had with Patton earlier that day. That had been off too. He thought of Patton’s excitement as he asked about the shard and Logan’s theories. It was quite uncharacteristic to be fair. Logan had merely excused it as his own tendency to lack understanding of certain interactions or because he hadn’t had many conversations with Patton since they were much younger, but he should’ve deduced something was off.

_Where do you keep it?_

Logan really shouldn’t have given that much information about his theories or the shard. He wondered who the culprit even was. Why was the culprit so interested in his research in the first place? Unless of course it was just to get on Logan’s good side to ask about the shard’s whereabouts. Even that left the question of why the thief was interested in the shard. Even if something was churning inside of Logan, he couldn’t help but feel a certain… Academic interest in the entire situation. Even though it seemed sort of nonsensical, there was clearly some sort of pattern to be found. And a Patton to be found (no, that wasn’t an intentional pun, thank goodness he didn’t say that out loud).

Roman and Virgil seemed entirely convinced that the other was to blame. They were looking through the camp in two separate places and hadn’t said a word to each other since their argument. Arguments were a lot less beneficial than discussions, but there was a fine line between them. Logan could see the logic behind each of their accusations, though they also both seemed rather emotionally charged. Virgil and Roman were both very distressed, which was understandable. It was interesting though. The most likely suspect wouldn’t be either of them, but rather Patton himself…

Not that that was the case. Well, it was far from impossible that that was the case. It was a lot less impossible than that someone could’ve impersonated Patton with that amount of accuracy, but even so… Patton wouldn’t do that, would he? While Patton was far from dumb in certain areas, it didn’t seem like the type of thing he’d be capable of doing. Logan shook his head. He had to focus on the task at hand.

Logan missed Patton in a sense. Not just now, but for a while. He hadn’t properly realized it. At least he didn’t think he had. He was usually the type of person who noted observations thoroughly. Yet, it felt like there was something within him that had failed to note certain observations. Maybe they’d simply passed as indisputable perceptible facts. 

Logan remembered when he left magic school. It had been in the figurative cards for a long time, but he hadn’t quite gotten himself to take the next step. Something had always convinced him otherwise, and for a while, his mothers had encouraged him to stay too.

Patton seemed to enjoy Logan’s company back then. More so than many others. Logan’s presence seemed to relieve the stress of what Patton was going through then. Truth be told, Logan hadn’t picked a very good time to leave that school. Not from Patton’s perspective. Logan didn’t like the way power rushed through his veins when he thought about it. It felt like a failure in a sense. It reminded him of something.

“I can’t find anything out of the ordinary.” a voice behind Logan said. Logan turned his head, to see Virgil. He hadn’t noticed that Virgil had approached him.

“My belongings are clearly out of place, but that’s all I’ve been able to find so far.” Logan said.

“Let’s just go.” Virgil said, his tone slightly unsteady, “This isn’t getting us anywhere. Let’s go find Patton before something terrible happens to him.”

“Let’s not jump to any conclusions just yet. No one benefits from cognitive distortions.”

Virgil took a sharp breath. “Do you even care?”

“Of course, I care.” Logan stated, placing a hand on his spectacles.

“Then could you please take this seriously!” Virgil said, his voice a little louder.

Logan turned his head towards Virgil, with a confused look on his face. “I am taking things seriously. I always do.”

Virgil scoffed. “Then, why are you acting so calm about this!”

Logan clenched a fist. “I am simply trying to maintain a logical approach that doesn’t obscure parts of the situation.” he felt the energy in his body, and he knew that if he wanted to, he would be able to cast a spell then and there without too many issues. For some reason, that annoyed him. He took a deep breath, “I can assure you, that Patton’s disappearance worries me greatly, and that the idea of losing him again in a way that could once again have been prevented by me, if I hadn’t gotten carried away in my own thoughts, does indeed trouble me!”

Virgil took a step back at this and his muscles loosened up a little. He tilted his head, and his expression became confused and sympathetic. Logan realized he’d said a few things that could appear confusing, but not just to others. He wasn’t entirely certain what he’d meant by the words or why he’d said them. Maybe it was supposed to serve as a form of proof. Proof of what? He wasn’t sure. A proof that he cared perhaps. He did. He was sure of that. He cared about a lot of things. Virgil spoke. “Logan… I didn’t-“

Perhaps a serious and terribly emotional conversation would’ve taken place then and there if it wasn’t for the envelope that abruptly landed on Logan’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which lots of tears are repressed and everyone is confused.  
> Thank you so much for reading! Thank you to the people who have left kudos and comments! I appreciate you all so much, you have no idea! :)
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at dramaticsnakes.tumblr.com where I post memes sometimes. I've also written a few other things that are posted on there.


	8. Paths and flowing ink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It's been a little while. This chapter wasn't cooperating with me but here it is! I hope you're having a wonderful day.  
> I would once again like to sincerely thank my beta-reader A Random Thing! I don't know what I'd do without them. The entire thing always flows much better after their corrections!
> 
> By the way, my friend @anxiously-creating on tumblr once again made art for this fic! It's a poster! I absolutely lost it when I saw it. Go check it out: https://anxiously-creating.tumblr.com/post/628275908084629504/a-traveling-bard-a-researcher-a-healer-and-a
> 
> Tw: Alcohol, references to death and grief, blood mention, cursing. Tell me if I missed anything.

Taverns were always lively when parties were happening. Remy liked it lively, especially when people were too drunk to remember seeing him the next day. Not that it mattered anyway. Remy liked attention at times, and he’d stopped hiding himself years ago. Sure, he was careful, but at some point, he felt that he should be allowed to let go. Everyone seemed so obsessed with thinking, and Remy was honestly getting sick of it. He couldn’t think about everything all the time. It’d be painfully dull.

After leaving the dad-like stranger outside with his wolf-friend, Remy had turned a corner, made a quick trip elsewhere, and picked up some money. It was almost unreasonably easy for him, even if it was still an inconvenient situation. Hopefully, the people travelling to the capital wouldn’t get too angry at Remy at the suggestion of bringing a wolf and some stray healer. Remy was pretty sure that that one guy had transported even stranger stuff. That one guy… Shit, what was his name again?

Remy stopped within the crowd of people, rubbing his face. He was tired, but what else was new? The damn eye-patch kept falling off as well. He adjusted it accordingly. It wasn’t that he _needed_ the eye-patch. It was mostly there to draw attention away from his other defining features, and if people asked about it, he could always pretend to have a mysterious and dark story behind it. Plus, when light hit his eyes, it was a little less uncomfortable when one of them was covered.

Remy was almost convinced that ‘that one guy’ was travelling through the village. He could feel it. It hadn’t been that long since the last time they’d talked had it? Name name name, why did everyone need a consistent name like that? Remy remembered that the name had reminded him of something. A month? Fall… October, Tober… Toby! His name was Toby, right?

The music was loud and cheerful in the tavern. Remy could see someone playing the lute, someone playing the shawm, and someone playing the flute, from where he was standing. He noticed that the flute-player was staring at his eye-patch. Remy winked, and received a smile back. He decided that he’d go talk to the flute-player later if he remembered (and if this little sideshow didn’t end up taking all night of course). People were dancing and chatting, and a few were already starting to lose their coordination abilities.

Remy shot the bartender a look and tossed a few coins to her. She gave him two mugs of ale, and Remy started searching. Man, Remy was being too helpful for his own good tonight. The Hidden One… Deceit would be _mad_ if he realized that Remy was helping out one of Virgil’s allies, especially after Deceit had probably tried to get said ally as far away as possible. Really though, taking advantage of someone’s good nature and then stabbing them in the side? Remy couldn’t decide if it was funny, rude, or just highly unoriginal. Remy was sure he’d seen it somewhere before multiple times. Or maybe he’d just read it.

Either way, Remy thought he was making it clear that he wasn’t taking any sides. He’d helped Hidden Ones with their pretentious passion projects on multiple occasions, so really, stuff like this should only serve to even out his utter indifference and neutrality. He wasn’t too keen on actively working against someone without something in return though. Mainly out of principle.

Whatever. He was just doing what he felt like. He should be allowed to do that at this point. What that resulted in wasn’t his problem. Deceit probably wouldn’t figure it out anyways. He was too caught up in his plans to realize what happened to the messes he left behind. The dad-guy travelling to the capital was unrelated to everything anyway, and Virgil and Deceit’s conflict would be forgotten eventually.

Remy was the only bitch left in the world with any fucking sense, honestly.

Across the room, sitting by a dark wooden table, there was a man in a black shirt and black vest. His auburn hair was curly and messy, and covered the top of his eyes. There was something cold about his glance that made him look somewhat intimidating. He was sitting right across from another guy, who wore a faded green hood and a tunic that matched. Remy gathered that they were playing cards or something. The guy with the auburn hair was the one who was probably named Toby, and Remy had definitely seen the other guy before too.

Remy approached the table, accidentally knocking into a few people in the crowd. They didn’t seem to care much. There was a smell of alcohol in the air. Once Remy was close, the man in the green hood turned his head. Remy smiled. “What’s up sluts?”

Toby turned his head. “What are _you_ doing here?”

“Enjoying the party of course.” Remy said, placing one of the mugs of ale on the table, “Have a drink. On me.”

Toby’s raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t seen you in a while, Rain.”

Ah, Rain. That’s what Remy had said his name was. His mind was probably stuck in that fall-mindset. It wasn’t a bad name at all. He made a mental note, that he should use it again sometime. “I’ve been doing whatever.”

The man near Toby turned his head towards Remy. “What do you want?”

Remy smirked. “I have a challenge for you.”

Toby raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

Remy pulled out a chair right by the other two, and sat down, pushing his mug towards the man who was with Toby. He’d intended it to be for himself, but he could always buy another one. “How would you like transporting a wolf to the capital?”

The man with the green hood’s eyes widened. “What are you yapping about?”

“A wolf.” Remy clarified. He looked at the others’ faces, not entirely sure what he was looking for.

“You need to specify more than that.” Toby said.

Remy nodded towards the door. “Not too far away from the village, there is a wolf-tamer.” he tried to hide an amused smile, replacing it with a smug one. “He’s brought a friend and needs to get to the capital as soon as possible. Preferably he’ll leave tonight.”

“And why should we help you with that?” the green-hooded man asked, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t show up anywhere for years and expect us to help you without payment?”

Oh right. Years. “I’m not stupid, babe. I’ve got you covered.”

Toby scoffed and took a sip of ale. “Oh yeah. Aren’t you rich or something? What, is it all stashed away somewhere?”

“I have my sources.” Remy replied, winking at the two. He liked having a somewhat mysterious reputation. It was a balance, really. He had to keep up the mystery, but still remain memorable to as few as possible. His first meeting with Toby had been an accident, but it had been fun, nonetheless. Remy had ended up being hired by him for a month or so before quitting. Remy wasn’t much of a career person. “I don’t have all night girls. Are you in or not?”

“How much money are we talking about?” the man Remy couldn’t remember the damn name of asked.

“200.” Remy suggested, knowing that he’d have to go higher than that.

Toby made a ‘tsk’ sound. “800.”

“300.”

“700.”

“Let’s just cut the crap, hon.” Remy said, “You and I both know it ends at 500.”

Toby leaned on his own hand, supporting the left side of his face, and looking rather tired. “How sharp. You a mathematician now?”

“I dabble in a bit of everything.”

“Fine... We’ll transport your friend.” the green-hooded man said.

“He isn’t my friend.” Remy spat, but it came out more exhausted than spiteful. “Just thought he looked cute, and it’s the first time I’ve seen someone tame a wolf in that way.”

It was partially true. There were very few things that Remy felt like he hadn’t seen. He had seen a few tamed wolves before, but certainly not one that was tamed by chance. Something was either special about the dad-guy, or something was off about the wolf. Maybe both. Regardless, they’d been a fun sight.

“Will we be attacked?” Toby asked with a skeptical look in his eyes.

“Unlikely.” Remy said with a sly smile, “I have quite a delicious face, and it didn’t bite me.”

The green-hooded guy chuckled a little at the comment, but Toby’s expression remained impressively neutral. “Where do we pick him up?”

“He is right by the path to the village, possibly standing behind some trees to avoid suspicion. I’m sure they’d love to get a ride as soon as possible.”

“Eh, didn’t plan on staying for long anyway.” Toby said, taking another sip from the mug. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at the green-hooded guy. “Seth, go set up the wagon.”

Oh right. Seth was his name. Remy should’ve remembered that, but eh. What you don’t know can’t hurt you as a debatably wise person usually insisted. A hilarious notion in a sense. There were a lot of things Remy didn’t know, and perhaps, it was partially true, that it didn’t do much harm. He didn’t get anything out of remembering and knowing at this point anyway. Still, it could’ve been nice then.

_Darkness. Void. Everything and nothing at the same time, consuming him with such an alluring power. There was nothing left. He could hardly remember how to breathe. Sad eyes looking at him as if he was nothing but a husk. A ghost._

He shook his head, clenching the muscles in his hand for a moment, before letting go. Ugh, thinking was so needlessly strenuous.

The guy named Seth nodded and stood up. He’d barely touched his drink. What a waste. He walked out the door, bumping into a customer on the way out. The customer barely seemed to notice.

"How'd you know we were here, Rain?" Toby asked, in a way that was cautious and quiet. Remy figured it was a precaution. Toby didn't always transport the most legal things, so it was understandable that he didn't want just anyone to know about where they stayed.

"I didn't. I just saw you when I walked in." Remy replied.

"You must've known something if you were looking for a ride for that guy."

Remy shrugged. "A sixth sense maybe." It wasn't too far off. He hadn't _known_ that Toby was hanging out around there, but he tended to have a vague feeling of the places he went.

Toby leaned back, seeming a little more relaxed. "Alright. If you say so."

Remy was about to add something until he remembered that it wasn't his problem. "I'll let him know you're coming."

* * *

Patton was waiting. It was quite dull, but not too bad. He hoped that S would be able to find a solution. The wolf had seemed rather impatient at first, and there were a couple of times where Patton had wondered if it would simply run off without him. Though eventually, it had simply curled up next to a tree. It’s eyes were closed and it looked incredibly peaceful. Patton’s urge to pet it was stronger than ever, but he didn’t want to wake it up.

Patton found himself wondering how the others were doing. Did they know he was gone? He had no clue where they thought he was. For a moment, he latched onto the thought that they knew, somehow. That they were looking for him. Perhaps they’d returned to the horses a while earlier, and noticed that Patton wasn’t anywhere to be found, and decided to go looking in the wrong direction. Patton thought of Virgil? Would he be alright? Well, of course he’d be alright! It wasn’t that Patton was _needed,_ though he couldn’t help but wonder if he could be helpful somehow. Were Roman and Virgil getting along? He really hoped they were. And Logan… well, he was smart. He would be there keeping everything in line. Hopefully preventing the situation from escalating too much. If they were looking for him, Logan’s logical approach would make it easier for them to find him.

Though it dawned upon Patton, that his friends looking for him right then wasn’t exactly ideal. Patton was safe, and he wasn’t sure if they could delay their journey much longer. They’d already been on several little detours. This was quite a messy situation, wasn’t it?

While Patton was waiting, he’d managed to find a piece of crumpled paper in the pocket of his belt. It had a recipe for a simple cold remedy written on the back, that Patton always forgot one specific ingredient of. He crossed it out with a pen he often carried around, and wrote ‘ignore this part’ right next to it. He cast a light spell to see the paper properly. Then, he started writing on the blank side.

The words didn’t flow that well. He had limited space, and he wasn’t entirely sure what information he wanted to convey. He wrote down a few words, and erased them again by extracting the color with a quick spell. Eventually, he sighed and started writing whatever was on his mind quickly. It was difficult to concentrate. Gods he was so _exhausted._ It was frankly exhausting to be this exhausted.

“Hey, honey! You miss me?”

Patton’s head jerked up at the familiar voice and stopped casting the light spell in mere seconds. He spotted S, who had a smile on his face, that was a little different from some of the ones he’d sent earlier. A little more… Genuine in a sense. Confident. “S! You’re back! How’d it go?”

“Got you a ride.” S said with a shrug.

Patton’s heart rate increased with hope and excitement. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“And the wolf…?”

“Going with you.” S said, as if that wasn’t the slightest bit unexpected, “They transport all sorts of weird things, anyway. They’ll come pick you up, and you’ll be on your way to the capital in no time.”

“That’s… That’s amazing! Thank you so much S!” he said, resisting the urge to hug the other.

“Heh.” S just said, “No problem, hon. Didn’t have anything better to do.”

That was when Patton’s eyes landed on what S was holding. Two plates, one with nothing but a steak and the other with a steak, a piece of bread with butter, and a few peas on the side. Patton instinctively licked his lips at the sight. “I-is that.”

“For you, I guess.” S said, handing both plates to Patton, “One’s for the wolf, but you decide how you share it. I don’t really care.”

“You… You paid for this?”

“Well, I didn’t steal it at least.” S said. The genuine and proud smile was slowly faltering, though Patton suspected it wasn’t because of his words. It felt more like someone falling into a habit. As if the smile had been straying a little from the usual, but Patton didn’t want to overanalyze someone he just met.

“Is there any way I can pay you back for all of this? Gosh, all my money is-”

“It’s fine, babe.” S said, “We probably won’t meet again anyway. If we do happen to meet again for some reason, you owe me one though.” he said, winking at Patton.

“Of course!” Patton exclaimed. S handed Patton the plates, and Patton started eating, placing the other on the ground for the wolf. The wolf had woken up at the sight of S, walked to the plate right away, and devoured its contents in a few seconds. The food tasted incredible, though perhaps it was just because of Patton’s hunger. Tears almost appeared in his eyes, as the bits of meat reminded him of just how hungry he’d become. There was another knot in his gut as he ate, that probably wasn’t caused by hunger. Truth be told, he felt pretty guilty about the whole ordeal. While it wasn’t entirely his fault, he really wished there was some way he could be less of a burden. “I’m sorry you had to deal with all of this.”

“Never _had_ to.” S just said, though his eyes became a little distant, “Just felt like it. Don’t think about it too much.”

“I get that.” Patton said, “Sometimes you do good things because it’s what’s right, and it feels right too.”

S sighed. “Nah, I just felt like it.” he repeated. He sent Patton a hesitant smile. “I had fun.”

“I just didn’t mean to…”

“Yeah yeah, you didn’t wanna get delayed unexpectedly, and you didn’t wanna have to receive help from some stranger.” S said, and Patton was surprised at the sudden rush of words. “But hey, that’s where you ended up, and sometimes you just gotta deal with that.” he gave a half-hearted smile, as if he was trying to ease his statement, “Isn’t that what adventure is about?”

Patton studied S’s expression, discovering a sudden hint of wisdom of sorts that hadn’t quite been there previously. As if his dark, visible eye became a little deeper, though Patton couldn’t quite place why. “I… I guess that’s true. It still wasn’t very fun though.”

S scoffed. “Adventure’s rarely completely fun anyway, but you still went on one. Now you’ll have a story to tell.”

Patton laughed nervously. He wasn’t sure what to say. “It’s been an experience… Even if I didn’t do much.”

“Bitch, you tamed a fucking wolf.”

“By accident!”

“Somehow more impressive. Or at least noteworthy.”

Patton smiled at S, and S smiled back, even if it seemed a little half-hearted. There was silence between the two for a little. Patton felt a variety of emotions. Guilt, excitement, gratefulness… Indescribable confusion. He’d almost finished the steak, and he was still hungry, though he hoped it’d get better with time.

S looked Patton up and down once again, and while Patton didn’t feel judged per say, it was clear that S was considering something. As Patton looked up, he got another look at the black, visible eye. There was something… Different about it, though Patton couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It was very possible that it was because of the darkness settling around them. It was difficult to see anything without light sources. S bit his tongue. “And you know, even if things suck sometimes it’s still an experience. Won’t pretend I know your situation fully, though consequences can be a privilege at times.”

There was something strangely significant about the words. As if they were reserved for something, or came from a place of knowledge, though they were so vague that Patton couldn’t quite tell what sort. Or exactly what he was supposed to gain from them. He couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say to that. “Yeah…” he smiled weakly, “It just happens very quickly.”

S snickered, but before Patton had the time to wonder why that was so funny it was replaced by a distant smile. “It does, but you have time. You’ll feel all the things you need to feel because of it, watch as the consequences happen, and you’ll get to live through them.” he paused, “And I’m sure you’re gonna do some great work in the capital regardless of how everything else turns out.”

“Uh… Thank you.” Patton said, relaxing his shoulders, “I-I’m not sure what you mean by all that. The old noggin’ isn’t always too sharp, but I appreciate it. Everything.”

S started laughing, covering his face a little while he did so. He shook his head, though he no longer looked at Patton. “Nah, that’s not on you. No one makes any fucking sense to me either, most of the time.”

Patton opened his mouth to say something but quickly forgot what it was at the sound of horses clopping against the ground. S turned his head. “Oh. That must be them.”

“Oh!” Patton exclaimed, “Uhm… Hold on.”

He picked up the piece of paper and finished scribbling the final letters. It all looked rushed, and he doubted the words made too much sense, but he didn’t have much time. He stood up abruptly and handed the paper to S. “I-if you still have a way of getting it to them, this is… What I wanna send.”

S looked confused for a breath before he gasped lightly. It sounded almost like a wince. “Oh yeah. Right. Almost forgot.” he grabbed the crumpled piece of paper. “Uh, can you like, describe one of your friends for me?”

Patton considered his words for a moment. “Right. Sure! Uh… Try Logan, he’d probably know what to do. He has like, black spectacles a bit like mine! He is a bit taller than me…”

Patton continued describing his friend within the best of his ability even if he wasn’t the best with words. S nodded at each addition, as the clopping horses came closer. “Sure, I’ll see what I can do.” he eventually said.

Patton saw the wagon approaching. It wasn’t a very fancy wagon, but it looked solid. It was made out of wood, and was pulled by two draft horses - one gray and one brown. The cart looked well-worn but Patton always liked to think that things being worn only meant they were reliable.

S nodded towards it. “There’s your ride. I’ll get going.” S said, “Later.”

Patton opened his mouth to say something. Add a ‘wait’ to utter something meaningful, but the moment he turned around, S was already walking away. “Thank you so much for everything!” he yelled anyway. There was a change in the position of S’ shoulders, though no other signs that he’d heard.

The wagon stopped, and out walked a man with auburn hair. He sent Patton a mischievous grin. “So you’re the wolf-tamer?”

* * *

“Wha-”

The envelope landed on Logan’s head and Virgil took a step back at the sudden interruption. Logan gasped, as the envelope fell down towards the ground. He squinted and looked at Virgil who looked back with a confused expression. Logan leaned down and picked it up, looking at the front of it. There was no sender or address written on it. The envelope was blank. Virgil leaned in, tilting his head to the side.

All the words that had been building up inside of Virgil had dissolved the moment they were interrupted, and he noticed that Logan’s posture was less stern. He looked curious, which was something Virgil had come to associate with the man. He remembered being stuck in Penzivi lake, and watching Logan as he eagerly approached each challenge. Subtle, but apparent.

“Do you have any clue what this might be?” Logan asked.

Virgil shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.” he bit his lip, “Uh, maybe you should like… Test it for magic or something? Before you open it?”

The last thing Virgil wanted was to deal with more unwanted magic. More tricks and more lies. It was getting tiring and confusing, and it made Virgil’s heart beat faster at the mere thought. He wasn’t sure if he could handle more of that stuff tonight. Logan nodded. “That would likely be a wise decision.”

Logan placed his hand above the envelope, closing his eyes ever so slightly. A faint, nearly transparent glow appeared underneath it, as Logan moved his hand around. It was quite a mesmerizing sight even if Virgil had seen it before. It was a little different when Logan did it. There was something particularly coordinated about it. As if the spell wasn’t performed fully and he was making sure his motions made up for it.

Deceit’s magic was different. There was barely anything restricted about it, unless of course he was attempting to hide something. That night had been no different. Strong and unrestricted. Selfish. Virgil could still almost feel the ropes around him, and he shivered a little at the thought of those eyes staring at him. Deceit’s eyes were powerful, even when they were hidden. Everything about him was powerful. Virgil didn’t like it one bit.

Why had he been so naive and stupid way back then? Rushing towards any hint of care like a moth seeking light. Even the cunning protection of someone like Deceit held Virgil in place. He kept searching for more, and accepting the protection no matter the cost. Then again, it didn’t make the world any less frightening. It primarily served to give it some meaning.

His mind was still racing with theories as to what that snake was up to. He had some ideas of the objective, though the means were often a mystery with those two.

_Change is coming Virgil. Whether you like it or not._

Logan opened his eyes again and squinted. “It’s not… Magic, but I sense _something_ from it. It’s not too uncommon. It feels like anything else does, simply… stronger.”

“What does that mean?” Virgil asked, fearing the implications behind it.

Logan shook his head. “It’s likely nothing.”

“Don’t like the sound of that ‘likely’.” Virgil muttered.

“There isn’t any magic on it. At least not any different from what you’d find around the rest of the world. Nothing that has been directly processed by a person, in the traditional sense.”

“Huh.” Virgil said, because he didn’t know what the best response to that would be.

Logan shook his head. “There are different types of magic after all. The entire world is full of it, but that’s not a topic that is relevant to discuss at this time.” he fiddled with the opening of the envelope, “I believe we should focus on the task at hand.”

Virgil took a deep breath and nodded as if he was getting ready for a battle. Maybe he was. Who knew what sort of stuff people could hide in a suspicious, clumsy envelope, that fell from the sky?

Logan opened it, and placed his finger on what seemed to be a crumpled piece of paper. He slid it out of the envelope and Virgil felt something racing within him. Something that made him ready to slap the paper out of Logan’s hand should the situation call for it.

Logan looked at the paper with a strane skeptical glance as he unfolded it calmly. Virgil took a step closer to get a good look. The tension from before was still hanging in the air. The tension he had created.

His eyes widened along with the words on the page. They looked rushed.

_"Hi!!_

_This is Patton if you were wondering! I don't exactly know where you are right now, but this really nice man helped me send a messenger falcon. At least I think that's what he said._

_I sort of wandered off a bit back with Elam and well… long story short, stuff got a bit delayed and when I came back you were nowhere to be found._

_I don't know exactly why, but I really hope you're okay! I'm safe and on my way to the capital so hopefully I'll meet you there. Make sure to eat enough food, drink water, and hopefully my misadventures haven’t caused too much of a hassle for you._

_Sincerely, your happy pappy Patton!"_

In the corner of the paper, a tiny, smiling heart had been clumsily sketched. Virgil’s mouth was gaping.

“Patton…” Logan whispered, and Virgil looked at the other.

“I-is this real?” Virgil asked.

“I… I am...” Logan shook his head, “Skeptical and reasonably confused, but I see little reason for it not to be.”

No, it couldn’t be that simple could it? The alternatives swarmed through Virgil’s mind. “It could be the same person who pretended to be Patton who sent it. Isn’t it convenient that we just happen to receive a letter _now_?”

“You do have a point.” Logan said with a nod and Virgil exhaled with relief, even if he should likely have the opposite response. “The use of messenger falcons is also… Uncommon around these parts, but if he should’ve come by one during the uncertain amount of time he has been missing, it would make sense for him to do this. Even if I am a little confused as to how said falcon found us.”

“So, it’s unlikely?” Virgil said, breathing a little faster.

“Certainly not more unlikely than the alternative, which suggests that someone is specifically out to get _us_ and worked hard to copy and perfect Patton’s handwriting.”

Virgil froze. “I- I mean…” he looked down and his hands started shaking. “What if someone _is_ out to get us. Someone infiltrated our camp pretending to be Patton! Why is this any different?”

Logan sighed. “I admit that we have very little data regarding this entire situation, but this is the only lead we have.”

Logan was right. Of course Logan was right, but he didn’t know everything. If the snake had been able to slither right in with a Patton impression that had been good enough to fool Virgil momentarily, then why should Virgil put this past him?

Maybe Deceit wasn’t out to get all of them, but maybe he was out to get _him_. Get into his head. Virgil felt a knot in his stomach, as he tried to calm his heartbeat.

Virgil looked at the crumpled piece of paper, as Logan turned it in his hand. Virgil noticed something on the back. “What’s that?” he asked.

Logan turned the piece of paper. Virgil stared at it. The entire page was crossed out clumsily, and next to it someone has written ‘ignore this part’. It was then that Virgil noticed that the entire letter was indeed written in something that closely resembled Patton’s handwriting. He’d seen Patton writing down recipes and lists quite a few times, and crossing out an entire page rather than simply removing the letters with magic seemed like a very Patton thing to do.

For a moment, Virgil allowed himself to believe that it was true. That Patton was on his way to the capital safely. That Deceit wasn’t following each of their movements closely, attempting to test them for some incomprehensible reasons.

“That’s… Quite Patton.” Logan said, dumbfounded.

Virgil nodded. “Y-yeah.”

He couldn’t let his guard down just yet. Virgil tugged nervously at his hood.

But he couldn’t explain everything, couldn’t come up with a better way to solve the problem. He didn’t know for sure if Patton was safe. Why was Virgil always so terrible at solving the problems he saw so clearly? Why couldn’t he ensure that they were doing the safest thing? The right thing. 

Rest assured though, if anyone had hurt Patton, Virgil would be ready with his knife, or his fists or whatever he had available at the time of a potential encounter. As long as there was no stupid magic holding him back.

“I will admit that I am not too keen on relying on hope.” Logan said, in a way that made Virgil close his mouth tightly, “But it’s the only questionable conclusion that is available to us.” he looked at Virgil, sincerely, “Your concerns make sense, and I am not trying to discredit them. I simply don’t see what else we can do.”

Virgil nodded. “Yeah, y-you’re right.” he sent Logan a half-hearted smile, “Guess neither of us are exactly rays of sunshine.”

If Patton was there he’d be optimistic about it.

Logan blinked confusedly. “No. Sun rays have no mass. We are people.”

Virgil felt a tinge of laughter in his throat but he only allowed it to show in a smile. “I uh- I was speaking metaphorically.”

“Oh.” Logan just said, seeming disinterested.

“Did you guys find anything?” A voice suddenly asked and Virgil tensed up. Roman.

Logan turned his head. Virgil did so as well, just in time to see Roman exiting one of the tents. His hair looked a bit messy, both from having woken up a short time ago and from searching. Virgil became aware of just how _tired_ the bard seemed.

For just a moment, some thoughts started creeping into Virgil’s mind like shadows at the beginning of the night, slowly consuming his mind and climbing down to his chest. Was it fear? Was it guilt? Perhaps it was guilt.

Because if the letter really _was_ Patton’s… While it didn’t clear Roman from any and all suspicion, it made him a less likely culprit. Maybe he shouldn’t have yelled like that earlier. He could tell himself that Roman started it all he wanted. That Roman started it all the way back at their first proper meeting. Though Virgil had a sneaking suspicion that that was not what it was about, anyway.

Roman was being secretive and it scared Virgil. It filled him with a lingering fear that threatened to take control of his words and his arms or legs the second something dared to disturb it. Secrets were bad. They were familiar and comforting for a moment, but the threat of them being revealed was frightening. The threat of revealing someone else's secrets was frightening. Secrets meant lies and lies meant danger. Roman was hiding something. Virgil _knew_ he was hiding something. He could just tell.

Virgil was hiding something, but what choice did he have?

So maybe it was guilt he was feeling. Maybe he was being fucking paranoid, just like he’d been told so many times before, and pushing it onto the first stranger he had the chance to talk to. But at this point who could blame him? Well he could blame him, but that was just a frustrating thing that happened every once in a while.

Ugh.

“As a matter of fact we did.” Logan said, holding the piece of paper in front of himself, “We received a letter from someone who is possible but not doubtlessly, Patton.”

“You what?” Roman asked, suddenly walking a lot faster towards the pair. His eyes widened.

“A piece of paper fell from the sky and landed on Logan’s head.” Virgil butted in, “The letter says it’s from Patton, but you gotta admit that’s weird.”

Roman took a long, scrutinizing look at Virgil and made a ‘hmm’ noise. He walked beside Logan and looked at the letter. His reactions to reading were almost comical, complete with confused noises and various eyebrow positions. “That’s… Huh…” he looked at Virgil, and Virgil was surprised he hadn’t picked Logan, “It fell from the sky?”

“Yeah.” Virgil replied, “Supposedly a falcon dropped it, but we didn’t see any.”

“There are few logical conclusions to come to.” Logan said, adjusting his spectacles as if it highlighted his point, “This seems more likely than someone faking the letter, however I can’t help but feel it isn’t an undeniable, observable truth. Though the most important information in the letter adds up. If Virgil’s previous theory about Patton being replaced back with the salesman is correct, at least.”

“That’s… It can’t possibly be that simple…” Roman said, sounding doubtful of his own words.

“That’s what I was thinking.” Virgil added, earning an unreadable glance from Roman.

“I am not certain if this explanation counts as simple.” Logan huffed.

“Perhaps not…” Roman said. He took a deep breath and there was something troubled in his eyes, “What do we do then?”

Logan looked at the letter a bit closer, as if the letters would reveal something to him should he stare hard enough. “It’s… It seems to me that we have two options and some variations thereof.”

“And what are they?” Virgil said, his voice coming out rushed. He fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve.

“Either we attempt to find our way to the nearest town to gather new supplies for a longer journey and search the area for Patton without knowing anything about where he is. An operation that could take us any amount of days with no discernable direction.” he paused, “Or we continue our journey to the capital with the assumption that the contents of the letter are in fact, correct.”

Neither Roman or Virgil said anything at first. Virgil tried to find a way to say something against the statement, but he couldn’t come up with any good arguments. As he studied Roman’s expression he noticed something similar in his eyes. “That’s…” Roman let out a humorless laugh, “When you put it like that Specs…”

Virgil sighed and tried to ignore the bad feeling creeping up on him. A bad feeling was always creeping up on him. “You’re right. We should...”

“We should continue onwards then!” Roman said, and while his voice still sounded fairly disheartened there was a faint tinge of hope that shined through. Virgil couldn’t help but feel a little lighter at that.

Virgil took a deep breath. “Yeah…”

Logan nodded. “We should get some sleep first.” he said. Virgil had almost forgotten about that. It was still nighttime. His body had completely forgotten about sleeping after the encounter with Deceit. A part of him thought _no. We can’t sleep now. Patton is gone. Danger._ “Then we’ll gather our things and keep going.”

Roman nodded and Virgil watched him with a sinking feeling in his gut.

* * *

After a couple of preparations, and a well-deserved nap, Deceit and Remus had moved to Remus’ room. Deceit had sat down on Remus’ bed, and watched as Remus sat on the floor. He wasn’t certain _why_ Remus had chosen to sit on the floor, when he could easily have picked a chair, or simply sat next to Deceit on the bed. When Deceit had made a remark about this, Remus had just said something along the lines of ‘If you wanted to fuck me you could just say, it’s not like there are many other options around here’ with a wink, after which he started rumaging through his drawer to find the notebook.

Perhaps it was a little careless for Remus to leave that notebook in such a vulnerable location, but Remus was the only one who could use it either way, so there wasn’t any immediate harm by doing it. Still though. The notebook contained drawings that could potentially reveal all of their work, and Deceit wasn’t one for taking chances like that. He did also know, however, that while Remus could be careless at times, he probably wouldn’t let a culprit like that go easily. Not to mention the fact that their hiding place was unknown to most in the first place.

So Remus was sitting on the floor holding his notebook, and looking to Deceit for the next step. “Homemade or not?” he asked.

“Let’s take a regular bird for now.” Deceit stated.

Remus pouted. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Deceit repressed a light smile and sighed. “Your creations are beautiful, darling, and they can be used for many purposes, but I hardly think that breaking into the royal castle with a flying eyeball would be customary.”

“How ‘bout a flying heart? Like a beating, bleeding-”

“Firstly, hearts cannot see. Secondly, I highly doubt that would be any less suspicious.”

Remus gave a dramatic sigh. “Well if you love _boring_ birds so much, where do I get one?”

“Brought one for the occasion of course.” Deceit said with a smirk. He waved one hand over his other, and in a flash of yellow, disintegrating light, a little metallic birdcage, lined with a tiny bit of something that resembled gold, appeared. Inside it, there was a robin. It wasn’t going to be caught for long, though it still looked around confusedly, unaware that its position was temporary. A robin wasn’t perfect for the job, but any creature that was much smaller wouldn’t have a susceptible mind.

“Did you cast an invisibility spell on it just to reveal it like that?” Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What of it?” Deceit said, holding the birdcage at the same height as Remus’ eyes. “One should be allowed to have a flair for the dramatic.”

Remus grinned, and Deceit was quite pleased to see that. “Mostly I’m just pissed you didn’t let me help you catch it.”

“We worked together to get close the magranea, and I figured I’d save you the time and effort this time around.” Deceit replied, he held the cage a little closer to Remus and the robin chirped at the movement. “Are you ready?”

Remus looked down and took a deep breath. The way he sometimes did to collect his thoughts. Deceit wished the thoughts could be shared with him, though Deceit didn’t expect to get anyone’s thoughts on a silver platter. Even Remus, who was often rather blunt could hold things to himself sometimes. He wasn’t the type of person who was up for an ‘open and honest discussion about feelings’ very often, and neither was Deceit, so really perhaps this was the ideal situation for them. Even if it did strike something within him rather bitterly.

“Ready like a bitch in heat!” Remus replied enthusiastically. He stared at the robin intently, and placed a pen on a page in the notebook.

Remus made eye contact with the robin and a flicker of dark light appeared in his eyes. He grinned, and the robin abruptly stopped in its tracks as if it had been struck by lightning. The pen was pressed harder against the paper and the robin’s eyes turned dark along with Remus’. Deceit watched with interest, as Remus’ hand moved down the paper, drawing the outline of the robin, the ink turning dark and shimmering upon reaching the page, until Remus eventually closed his eyes. He hummed to indicate that he had finished the process.

The notebook was a remarkable creation. Rather brilliant if Deceit was to give his own opinion. It had been difficult to create, difficult to connect to someone, and its power wasn’t unlimited, but it was still rather incredible. Not that many years back it wouldn’t even have been considered a possibility that the Mindsphere could be used in that way. Efficacy’s research has certainly been groundbreaking.

Well, not to mention Deceit’s own contributions. He smirked and watched the robin moving its head, as Remus tested his control. Remus opened his mouth and spoke “Ready.”

The bird chirped along with him, and Deceit chuckled. “Wonderful work, dear.”

Remus hummed, and Deceit carefully opened the bird cage. The robin flew out, and rushed out the open door to Remus’ room. “This is dull compared to the eye-bats. I already miss the magranea too.”

“Hm. Maybe we’ll capture another one should the situation call for it.” Deceit said, which provoked an excited grin from Remus. “For now we must lead our little robin to the kingdom. We have some details to sort out, after all.”

“I hate flying for hours.” Remus complained, much like an impatient child might.

“Can’t let go of the control just yet.” Deceit said, “But I’ll get you some snacks while you’re at it. Anything else you need?”

Remus shook his head. “No. Keep me company. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Deceit stopped in his tracks and eased into his position on the bed, placing the bird cage on the floor. “How _unfortunate_.” he said sarcastically, which earned a somewhat genuine smile from Remus.

While he didn’t mind staying… While he _wanted_ to stay, he couldn’t help but tap his fingers against his leg impatiently, as if he was waiting for something. It was strange, because Deceit often considered himself a rather patient man. He’d been working his way up slowly, gathering up old research and making discoveries ever since he was granted control of their half of the Sphere. Even if it was granted to him rather… Suddenly.

He’d picked up the pieces well, and hadn’t spent too much time wallowing in self-pity and incomprehensible emotions. He’d distanced himself from them, and perhaps that hadn’t been the best way to go about it, but it was the solution that seemed simplest at the time.

He preferred not to think about it too much now. Well he did sometimes. Her picture was placed right there down the hall, complete with the short black curly hair, her sharp and elegant chin, the dark eyes with an almost unnaturally round pupil, and the black feathers covering parts of her wrists.

The picture was one of the few visual remains of her presence. Deceit could look at the lifeless picture now without too many issues. He barely felt anything as he did so, though whenever his eyes were led to the black feathers, a memory of a splattered dark red filled his mind.

Red and black had been a tragically beautiful combination. Deceit swallowed something in his throat.

 _You're going to do big things one day, Deceit._ The name was uttered with pride. As if it meant the world. _You're learning so much already._

Deceit shook his head to remove the vivid picture of Efficacy’s smile that made a bittersweet gust of wind rush through him. He looked at Remus, sitting on the floor with his head tilted to the side, having placed his arms on the floor with a wacky sort of concentration. Remus didn’t open his eyes, though Deceit could tell he was about to speak. “How was Virgil doing? Did ya say hi from me?” the voice was teasing, but there was definitely something genuinely curious underneath it.

Deceit let out a slightly too audible breath, and closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. Then he smirked, although he knew Remus wouldn’t be able to see. “Misguided.” he said, “Gave him quite a scare though, when he realized who I was.”

Remus opened one eye. “He saw you?”

Deceit realized how little he’d told Remus about the encounter. “Yes. It wasn’t a problem.” he thought about the ropes that tied themselves around Virgil, and how distantly familiar the look in Virgil’s eyes was. It made Deceit feel… Something. A strange suffocating feeling, that he couldn’t help but associate with a lack of control. It was strange, because Deceit had certainly been the one who was in control of that situation. He’d made sure of that. “I restrained him with some magic, to stop him from his futile attempts to stab me with a knife.”

“Kinky.” Remus said, placing his hand on his chin as if to stop his head from falling.

Deceit snorted. “Regardless, it hardly matters. What was it you said… Stepping stones?”

Deceit caught a quick frown on Remus’ face that was gone mere moments after it appeared. It was replaced by a grin. He chuckled. “That’s right.”

* * *

A robin flew across the sky, catching sight of an irrelevant wagon, as it approached a castle in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter that made me look up the etymology for the word 'slut', also known as the 'ugh feelings' chapter.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Thank you to anyone who has left kudos and comments. It makes me incredibly happy :D


	9. The Capital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, it has been a hot minute since the last chapter! Welcome back! :D
> 
> Since last time, the amazing @doydoune on tumblr has made "Adventure Awaits!" fanart! Check it out right here: https://doydoune.tumblr.com/post/629438741948268544/im-begging-you-to-go-read-adventure-awaits-by-the
> 
> Once again thank you so so much to A Random Thing for beta-reading this. The chapter wouldn't be the same without them. 
> 
> Tw: blood mention, cursing, talk of death and grief, dead animal mention, burning mention, birds pecking at things. Please let me know if I missed something.

They hadn’t gotten much rest that night. Logan was usually the type of person who aspired to get the right amount of sleep each night, but that sort of thing was difficult with interferences like what they had experienced thus far. And they’d had quite a few interferences on their trip. Sure, traveling from one town to another could be a dangerous endeavor, but he was fairly certain it wasn’t meant to be _that_ troublesome.

Many concerns were yet to be addressed, and though Logan rarely doubted his own judgement, he wasn’t entirely sure that what they had chosen to do was the most ideal plan. Logan greatly disliked having insufficient data to assess a situation properly.

He’d placed Patton’s letter safely in his bag. Roman was leading the way to the capital, as he was the one who knew where to go. This left Logan and Virgil in the back. If Logan’s calculations had been correct (and if they could count on the fact that there would be no more detours), they would reach their destination within an hour or less. Logan appreciated that they were closer. It was about time really. There was still tension between all of them, but at least no one was yelling at each other, which often proved to be a rather useless tactic. Roman and Virgil hadn’t spoken, but seemed a little more relaxed about each other’s presence. Logan assumed it was partially because the concern for Patton’s disappearance, the strange letter, and everything else going on took up more space.

“Hey Logan?” Virgil asked hesitantly after a few quiet moments.

“Yes?” Logan said, turning his head slightly with a raised eyebrow.

“Did… The person who broke into our camp. Did they ever like, talk to you?”

Logan swallowed something in his throat and felt something within him figuratively sink. “In a sense…” he said.

“What did the person say?” Virgil asked, squinting slightly. There was a certain hesitance to his words that indicated that Logan didn’t necessarily have to answer. It put Logan a little more at ease, though he still wasn’t certain how to respond to the question.

“They inquired about my theories as to what the purpose of the shard was.” Logan responded.

Virgil bit his lip. “I see.”

Logan looked at the other with a calculative expression. He sent him a hesitant smile. “It was somewhat troubling. I am unsure what the information was needed for, but…” he closed his mouth abruptly, as he ran through the exchange once again.

Either the culprit already knew what the purpose of the shard was, and wanted to make sure that Logan _didn’t_ know, or something in Logan’s theories captured the culprits interest and caused them to steal the shard in the first place.

Either way, Logan couldn’t help but feel that he was partially responsible for the matter.

The culprit likely wouldn’t have taken Patton away, and infiltrated their camp, without a purpose. That purpose being the shard, seemed to be the most likely option, but that meant the shard was particularly special. For a short second, Logan considered that his second, more unreasonable theory had been correct. Or perhaps it was so far off, that it was humorous to the culprit, and Logan wasn’t a threat to their plans with it at all.

For some reason, that thought made something within Logan burn.

“But what?” Virgil asked.

Logan thought for a moment, “But nothing.” he said, “I eventually gave the location of the shard which was… Most definitely a mistake. I apologize.”

Virgil huffed and sent Logan a half-smile. “It’s cool.” he said, “People make mistakes all the time and like, there’s no way you could’ve known.” he paused and added darkly, “I didn’t know either, at first.”

The two of them continued ahead. There was silence between them.

“What… What theories _did_ you have?” Virgil asked hesitantly.

Logan strengthened his grip on Luna’s back for a moment, as he tried to think it over. “It’s…” he closed his eyes momentarily, “None of them made much sense in the first place.” he took a deep breath, “But the culprit stopped asking questions regarding the shard once I mentioned that it could, hypothetically speaking, be connected to the Mindsphere.

Virgil’s mouth gaped slightly and he looked away, chewing on his lip. “Really? Huh.”

“I mean, it’s unlikely.” Logan quickly added, “It would be quite strange if a shard in the middle of nowhere was somehow connected to an artefact no one in the kingdom understands much about.” he looked ahead, spotting the outline of the capital in the distance. “Unless of course it’s related to the part of the Mindsphere in the Outskirts.”

Virgil inhaled sharply, and seemed to strengthen his grip on Thunder. “Maybe.” was all he said. Logan wondered if Virgil intended to ask more questions. The silence somehow brought an unpleasant feeling to his gut. Virgil looked down. His posture made him appear nervous, and Logan couldn’t help but try to analyze it, even if his attempts were rather futile. “I’m uh, sorry, by the way.” Virgil added.

Logan tilted his head, somewhat surprised at the sentiment. “What do you mean?”

Virgil made a strange frustrated sort of sound, “I lashed out earlier. I was panicked, and it didn’t have anything to do with you.”

“Oh.” Logan said, unsure what else to say to that. “I… I must admit that I was being a little irrational too.”

“No no, it’s cool, I should’ve just… I should’ve calmed down a little. I was just being mean, I- I’m working on it. I’m not gonna try to excuse that.” he took a deep breath and seemed to smile slightly, “Your level-headedness is pretty remarkable actually, I don’t think any of us would’ve survived without it.”

Logan made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a gasp, and he freed one of his hands to adjust his spectacles. “I appreciate the sentiment. Everyone’s company has been rather… Pleasant and advantageous. Even with the severe amounts of setbacks.”

“Ha. Yeah…” Virgil said with a smile, and it seemed the tension had eased up even more. Virgil looked ahead, the huge castle clearly visible by now. “There we are.” he said, a hint of disbelief hanging in his voice.

Logan nodded. “Indeed.”

“Finally we’re here!” a powerful and joyous voice said from ahead. Roman sighed, “I’ve missed this. I haven’t been here in months!”

“I’ve never been.” Virgil said with a chuckle.

“Neither have I.” Logan added.

Roman gasped dramatically, and turned his head. “No, that simply won’t do! I must show you all the grand sights! You haven’t truly seen the kingdom ‘till you’ve seen the effervescent nights of the capital!”

Logan caught Virgil snorting from the corner of his eye, and he couldn’t help but smile a little. Maybe everything was a confusing mess, but there was still something satisfying about finally arriving. And nonetheless, this was where Logan wanted to be, wasn’t it? He was in the capital, his application at the ready. The idea piqued his curiosity and left him a bit excited for things to come.

Hopefully they _would_ find Patton there soon enough, and maybe it would all make sense in the end.

* * *

Patton was starting to learn that it was pretty difficult to focus on anything at all, when he was sitting in the back of a shaking wagon, desperately holding onto a confused wolf, while keeping track of his new acquaintances. There was the driver, Seth, who’d seemed at least a little uncomfortable around the wolf. He’d insisted that they wrapped some leash around it. Patton had compromised by tying a loose magical rope around its neck, loose enough for it to barely be noticeable from the wolf’s side. Truth be told, it probably wouldn’t hold it much anyway. Then there was Toby, who sent Patton strange glances but otherwise didn’t say much. Patton sent Toby apologetic looks whenever the wolf tried to stand up or move around, even though it was a rather inconvenient time for it to do so. It didn’t seem to like the wagon at all. Patton had whispered something to it in the silence, to calm it down, to which Toby had laughed disbelievingly without comment.

Patton slept through some of the night, and he’d barely spoken to the people who’d picked him up. Toby and Seth had already been awake as he woke up, and the wagon was pretty cold, so he doubted he’d even slept for that long in the first place. Toby had only walked into the back of the wagon after Patton woke up, probably not too keen on sitting right by a sleeping wolf without any sort of protection. That protection being Patton was somewhat ironic.

Most of the noise in the wagon came from the bumps in the road outside, and the wheels that only kept turning and turning. Patton wasn’t really used to being in wagons. He’d gotten a ride with one once, the first time he went to the capital to continue his healer studies, though it was a little less worn than this one. But beggars can’t be choosers, he insistently reminded himself, because all in all it was a perfectly fine wagon and he really appreciated that the people there had been willing to give him a ride at all.

“So… What do you work as again?” Patton asked slowly at one point, in an effort to break the awkward silence. He was petting the wolf’s chest, in the hopes that that would calm it down just a little.

Toby didn’t reply right away, simply looking Patton up and down. “Delivery.” he said eventually, looking away.

“Oh.” Patton said. He sent Toby the politest smile he could muster, “That sounds interesting! Have you done that for a while?”

Toby hummed and took a sip from a mug next to him. Patton wasn’t sure what was in it. It looked a bit darker than most beverages he had seen before. “Yes.” Toby just said. He appeared to analyze Patton’s face for a bit. “How long have you been a wolf-tamer?”

“Oh, I’m not.” Patton replied, with a laugh, “I’m a healer.”

At this, Toby raised an eyebrow and looked from the wolf to Patton. “So what, is that your assistant?”

“No, I think it's just lost.”

Toby chuckled rather suddenly. Patton realized how ridiculous the things he had said would sound to others. “And your name was Patton?” Toby asked.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Toby nodded and took another sip from his cup. “We’re almost there, don’t worry.”

“Uh, thank you for even picking me up.” Patton said, hoping it sounded genuine, because it was. He wasn’t sure what else he would’ve done.

“No problem. Rain seemed to have taken a liking to you.”

Patton tilted his head. “Who’s Rain?”

Toby looked confused for a moment, and stopped leaning against the wagon, ”You know, the guy who asked if you could come with us?”

“Oh…” Patton said. Maybe that made sense. ‘S’ did sound like a nickname of sorts, though it was a strange nickname to ‘Rain’. Maybe it was just a joke or something. “He told me to call him S.”

Toby huffed and pursed his lips. “Yeah. Sounds like ‘im. The guy likes a sense of mystery.”

Patton nodded, and furrowed his eyebrows. After a second he asked, “How do you know him?”

Toby tutted. “Worked for us for a while. He’s a strange one, but he clearly had some sort of experience. Didn’t like to make his life anyone else’s business, so I don’t know much about him.”

“He was really nice.” Patton said.

At that Toby chuckled once again. “Sure, if you say so. Pretty sure he’d punch you if he heard that though.”

Patton wasn’t sure what to respond to that, and appropriately, the wolf tried to stand up once again, so Patton had to try to calm it once more. Toby watched the scene unfold. “I’ve never been this close to a wolf before. You think you could teach it to rip some heads off?”

Patton’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t do _that_! I’m not gonna let the wolf hurt anyone.”

Toby smirked. “You know, when Rain said he’d found a wolf-tamer I’d expected someone more… Ferocious.” he huffed, “Wouldn’t expect Rain to take pity on someone like you.”

Patton gasped quietly and looked down with an awkward smile. “Well I didn’t mean to be a bother or anything.”

“You’re fine.” Toby said.

The wagon continued down the road, and the wolf started growling at the sound of the wheels, which caused Toby to move back just a little. Patton did admire the courage to sit there, especially considering that Toby wouldn’t know if the wolf had plans on ripping someone’s head off or not. Well, Patton probably didn’t have a reason to trust the wolf on that either, but so far the it still seemed harmless. And incredibly adorable of course.

* * *

The capital was a beautiful place. Roman already knew that of course. It blended effortlessly into the landscape, like the background of a painting, though it still managed to stand out with its grand buildings and unique architecture. The capital was the oldest place in the kingdom, the castle being built several hundred years prior. Roman wasn’t sure how many, since history wasn’t his strong suit. As they rode down the road, the castle became increasingly clear. It towered over the smaller buildings, and it stood close by the castle academy. The castle was built from white bricks and parts of the towers were lined with beautiful golden sculptures, carved into the walls in the most delicate way, which Roman always found himself admiring once he came in. On the streets, there were performers playing instruments and singing, something Roman himself had done before. It was always an interesting and varied audience in the capital, and he enjoyed the spirit.

To Roman, the capital was first and foremost a city of art. A wonderful place to be as a bard, if a difficult place to make a living as one. There was a lot of competition, and unless you were directly hired by someone influential, it was hard to make it. Roman hadn’t visited in a while, and he noticed right away that there were more guards around than usual. He figured it was because of the strange circumstances in the kingdom. Roman felt a tinge of concern. If the monsters could get into the smaller villages, were his parents safe at home? Regardless, Roman was excited to be here again. He let out a relieved sigh.

The trio went to the cheapest stables in the area. Roman showed the way, happy to be of use. As Roman was the only person who’d been here before, he had the advantage of knowing where all the best places were. The moment they got out of the stables, Virgil shifted restlessly. “So what do we do now?” he asked, “Do we… Do we just look around for Patton?”

“He didn’t specify how long it would take for him to get here.” Logan stated.

Roman bit his lip and tapped his leg with his fingers, “Well…” he said, “If he comes from the same direction as us we can expect him at the same path we rode down. If he has already arrived, he is probably either at the healing quarters or waiting for us around the entrance.”

“That is correct.” Logan said furrowing his eyebrows, “It’s probably a good idea if some of us stay in this area to await his arrival.” he turned his head towards Roman, “Where are the healing quarters?”

“Right by the Castle Academy.” Roman replied.

Logan licked his teeth. “I see.” he looked at the academy, that was clearly visible no matter where in the city you were, “I can go see if he is there. I would like to leave an application at the academy either way.”

“Oh… Right.” Roman said, glancing at Virgil who looked down, kicking at the ground. “Just meet us back here when you’ve checked I suppose.”

Logan looked between the both of them. “I don’t have to if you’d rather-”

“It’s cool.” Virgil said quickly, smiling slightly at Logan, “We’ll be waiting.”

Logan looked unsure for a beat, before nodding. “It probably won’t be too long.”

Then Logan walked away, and Virgil and Roman were left by themselves.

* * *

A robin was flying through the landscape at an impressive robin pace (even though Remus was pretty sure it would’ve been _much_ faster if he’d been allowed to make a modified version with a hole in the butt that spat out air, but he decided not to comment on it because Deceit was boring right now), and it was nice to soar like that and imagine pecking at all the people on the ground’s heads.

Deceit had been with Remus ever since Remus started flying, or well, since the robin he controlled started flying. They’d spoken of course, and Remus had eagerly made up a story about an owl covered in nothing but mouths, which Deceit seemed to thoroughly enjoy, though there was quite a bit of silence that Remus didn’t like. Even if he tried his best to break it.

Once the robin finally arrived at the capital and looked through the area for the Castle Academy, Deceit became even more on guard. “Do you see it?” he asked.

“Sure it’s right up ahead!” Remus said, because it was. It was a huge building standing right by the grand castle that was hard to miss. The academy towered above the capital, and it looked quite aesthetically pleasing in the sort of way even Remus could appreciate if he squinted hard enough. It was dull, but it wasn’t as dreadfully dull as some of the other academies around the kingdom. It was colorful in the professional sort of way, built of some dark orange material, with hints of expensive marble every once in a while. While most of the decor was probably interior, the outside had a floor on the outside that stretched all the way around it, being held up by pillars, and protected by balustrades or something. For a moment, Remus wondered what would happen if someone cut through the pillars. Lots of screams from the people on the ground. Most of the front had long windows. Way longer than they needed to be, and mostly covered by curtains. Boring curtains though. Remus could think of a million cool prints for them, instead of just a plain blood red color. “It looks like a nerd’s wet dream.” he added.

“Good, that sounds like it.” Dee said. “Try to see if there is an opening. It’s a hot day, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a window is open. Don’t let them see you.”

Remus didn’t really like to be ordered around, though he decided to listen to Deceit nonetheless. Deceit probably knew what he was doing. At least sort of. Remus wasn’t always sure if it was one of those days where Dee pretended to know exactly what he was doing even though he was just improvising, or if it was one of those days where he’d planned out everything to a tee in the safety of his room.

“Gotcha!” Remus said, as he started flying around the building to search for any openings. There was in fact an open window or two, and he flew right in without being noticed. “I’m in.”

Deceit seemed startled. “Good. Try to hide. And maybe… Maybe try not to speak too much. If the bird makes noises it might get noticed.”

Remus nodded “You’ve got it DeeDee.” he whispered, and made a movement with his hand that was supposed to symbolize his lips being sewn together as tightly as possible. He let the robin fly towards the ceiling, just as a man walked down the corridor. It was a man, with a pair of round spectacles, dressed in a professional-looking long-sleeved dark beige robe, with a pink shirt tucked underneath it. He had black hair, fairly marked eyebrows and warm brown skin. There was something about his face that seemed befuddled and excited, like a crab who’d only just discovered the potential of its claws. Provided that crabs had human faces of course. Remus was about to blurt out something along those lines, when he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to say anything. Annoying honestly.

Remus thought the man looked at least a little important, so he decided to follow. He opened one eye to have a look at Deceit. Deceit looked curious and focused, though the moment he noticed Remus was looking he tilted his head and sent Remus a look, that reminded Remus eerily of _her_. Good old E-fuck-acy. It had been a while since she’d been around.

Deceit’s insistent friendship with Remus was one of those things Efficacy never quite understood. She respected it just fine, because Effi respected Deceit, and in truth she had the same sort of instinct to take a liking to what was generally shunned. However, it was clear from the long and calculative looks she had given Remus, that she never quite understood _why_ Deceit had selected him. It was kind of funny, because Effi understood so many things, whether you wanted her to or not. With one long and hard look, she could read a person as easily as a three-word sentence in a book for preschoolers. Virgil had never liked when she looked at him. Deceit always stood his ground when she tried to read him, though she did so rarely. But whenever she tried to read Remus, Remus had simply tried to think of something utterly hilarious, like a bridge of large puppy-heads burning up while he crossed it, which made Effi raise an eyebrow, and turn around without any further change to her expression.

DeeDee always insisted on not talking about Effi. Well, not necessarily insisted, but even Remus could tell that the topic was out of the question. It was stupid really, because it was clear that Dee thought about it a lot. Maybe Remus missed having her around every once in a while too. She laughed at the things he blurted out sometimes. Just because she didn’t necessarily see him as useful in the same way Deceit or even… Virgil was, she still seemed to enjoy his presence, which was more than Remus could say for most people in his life.

But eh, she was kind of an idiot anyway honestly.

People always told Remus not to speak ill of the dead, but he would’ve said the same when she was alive. The difference was just that no one would laugh at it anymore.

And it wasn’t that Remus didn’t feel bad that she was dead. It wasn’t that Remus didn’t want to stop Deceit from feeling sad on his own, but what could someone like him do about it? Remus was less of the vulnerable conversation type and more of a distraction type. She died, Deceit had isolated himself, things went back to normal for a while, Virgil isolated himself, Virgil left, Deceit isolated himself. Remus was mostly just there, sketching and waiting for his chance to be useful again. He kept things from getting too boring, trying his best to fill the cave with surprises to stop the air from getting too thick with isolation and repression.

At least Deceit was still there, and he still seemed to like him. Which was more than Remus could say for anyone else in his life.

Remus shook his head to get that mish mash of thoughts out of his head. They were more dull and inconvenient than anything, because right now he was a fucking bird, and that was fucking cool. Even if it was the dull sort of bird. Robins could fight each other to the death though. No birds were completely uninteresting. He flew along the ceiling, seeing a few paintings of famous and wrinkly nerds, holding books with various titles written underneath them. DeeDee had always said that titles were only given to those who were at the right place at the right time. A bold claim to make, considering the fact that Dee had a pretty fucking fancy-schmancy title himself. Maybe that just made it reliable.

As Remus turned a corner, he saw someone he hadn’t quite expected to see. He swiftly flew back around the corner and hid on the chandelier, feeling something sink in his gut. “Logan!” he said, which prompted a ‘shh’ from DeeDee’s side. Remus tried to roll his eyes, but it was pretty difficult and unnecessary since they happened to be closed. “Logan.” he whispered in a slightly too loud way for it to successfully qualify as a whisper.

“Logan? The one who traveled with Virgil?”

Remus nodded animatedly.

“What in the name of Violet is that-” Dee trailed off. He exhaled deeply through his nose. “Is he with anyone?”

The robin peaked ahead once more, just as the man Remus had been following turned a corner as well. The man stopped in his tracks and looked at Logan, seemingly surprised.

“Logan? Logan Aldritch is that you?” the man asked. The robin tilted its head.

Logan got a strange look on his face for a moment and raised an eyebrow. Then he smiled, as if he was pleasantly surprised. “Emile Picani?”

The man, who was probably named Emile Picani, perked up in an animated movement that rivaled the ones Remus had. “My, what brought you here? I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“I’ve been busy with my studies. And life has been treating you well I presume? If you work here that is.” Logan said.

“Why yes I suppose it has. It was a series of happenstances really. Never thought I’d end up here.” Emile said, chuckling.

“He knows that other guy.” Remus whispered.

“That other guy?” Dee asked, “Oh why, no need to be more specific than that at all.”

“There’s another guy. He works at the academy.” Remus elaborated, “Sure looks like someone who devours books for a living. Can you imagine devouring books? Bet they’d have a funny consistency if you swallowed them whole.”

“I bet they would.” DeeDee said, with a barely audible chuckle, though he added a quick ‘shh’, “Pay attention to what they’re saying.”

* * *

After Logan had gone to the healing quarters to no avail, he had decided to go to the academy. It was going to be a quick trip hopefully, simply to weigh his options. He could do a more in-depth visit once he was certain Patton was safe. He had managed to walk right in, and walked down the hall to find some people he could talk to regarding his application.

Logan hadn’t quite expected to run into his old classmate from the Crow’s Nest academy in the capital. The capital was a big place of course, but he wasn’t sure what the probability of meeting Emile Picani specifically was. They hadn’t seen each other in years. They’d talked regularly for about two years at their academy, after which they’d both focused on their own studies, giving them fewer classes around each other. Logan wasn’t sure what Emile had done after that.

Emile had always been a rather interesting individual. A bit eccentric perhaps, but Logan found that he rather liked that. Emile had an interesting way of thinking, and Logan had always been fascinated by it. Emile also seemed to enjoy Logan’s presence, so they had some sort of mutual understanding. Neither of them were that much for social interactions or gatherings, so they’d frequently spent their time quietly studying things in the library. Logan found that he quite liked having a companion of sorts back then.

“For how long have you worked here?” Logan asked, “What do you do?”

“Oh, I’ve been working here for quite a while actually! It’s been almost 7 years!” he said with beaming eyes. That wasn’t long after they’d finished studying at the academy. That was quick. Picani continued, “And I’m a researcher as of now! Or well, my own research isn’t funded by the academy, but I do a bit of work here and there. Mostly I hold onto important documents now.”

“I see. Seems like quite an influential job.” Logan said with a nod, his eyes lighting up a little, “What is your own research about?”

Emile smiled hesitantly. “Oh, it’s some experimental sort of mind studies. Nothing special.”

Logan was quite interested in that. “Mind studies are perfectly respectable. I think it deserves a lot more credit than what is given. You seemed passionate about it too, back at Crow’s Nest.”

Emile smiled a bit more excitedly. “Thank you! I’ve been working quite hard on some theories. I have been attempting to make connections between works of fiction and the human mind.”

“How so?” Logan asked.

“Well there is always intent behind works of fiction, and those can be analyzed and applied to one's everyday life no matter how far-fetched the work might initially seem!” Emile explained with vivid gestures, “Though there’s no need to bore you with that now.”

Logan’s mouth gaped slightly and he cleared his throat. “It doesn’t sound boring at all. Not my usual field perhaps but I would love to hear more at a later date if you wish to share.”

Emile Picani had always found some sort of appeal in fiction, that Logan had never quite managed to find. Logan could appreciate fiction of course. Mystery stories kept his mind sharp, and he had a certain appreciation for poetry, both because of the structure and vocabulary, but he never saw fiction as his area of expertise. Emile however, used to spend a lot of time talking about his favorite books and fictional characters, his eyes always lighting up as he did so. Even if Logan never entirely understood it, he found that he liked listening to Emile talking about it on occasion. For a brief moment, the thought that Roman and Emile could get along, flashed through Logan’s mind.

“I’d love to!” Emile said with an excited nod, “But you never answered my question. Why are _you_ here?”

Logan shook his head to gather his thoughts again. Oh, right. He had to focus on the tasks at hand. Patton, was the first thought, but he didn’t think it would be relevant for Emile to hear about that. “I look to apply!” Logan said, holding out the stack of papers in his hand. “I don’t know if you’re seeking out any new people, but I wanted to drop this off either way. Perhaps I can prove my capabilities later if so required.”

Emile chuckled. “Oh, we could be colleagues! Haven’t worked around you in a while. That would be fun.” he smiled, “I can bring that to the right place if you’d like. I know where most of the files and such are supposed to be. And where to put them for them to be noticed of course.”

Logan perked up. “Really? That would be wonderful, thank you!” he brushed a strand of hair behind his ear, and handed Emile the papers. Emile accepted them with a nod. “I am a little busy today. My traveling companions and I got a bit delayed because of the circumstances.”

Emile’s expression turned serious for a moment. “The monster attacks?”

“Among other things.” Logan said, his muscles tensing up slightly. “But we made it. We got a bit scattered, but we hope to regroup here in the capital.”

“Quite a big place for regrouping, but I’m glad you’re all okay!” Emile said with a smile, “Who are you traveling with?”

“Three others. A bard, a healer, and a… A capable fighter with a lot of experience.” he said, “I don’t think you know any of them.”

“I see!”

Logan considered something for a moment. “How did you get hired here actually? If you don’t mind me asking of course.”

Emile licked his upper lip thoughtfully. “Well as I said it was a series of happenstances. I suppose some people picked up one of the reports I wrote just before I graduated, and took an interest in them. I had the chance to discuss some of my theories surrounding the human mind with some higher ups.” he looked content with a sort of distant fondness, that Logan perhaps recognized from himself, “I hope at least some of them will be taken seriously. I think the world could benefit from understanding the human mind better than we do. It’s a bit of an enigma sometimes.”

Logan nodded along. “That is true. I always thought too little research had gone into it. I only did little research on it myself, but I would love to learn more should more resources become available.”

“I hope they will be eventually!” Emile said excitedly, “I hope I can participate in it somehow.”

Logan smiled hesitantly. “Well if you’re already at the Castle Academy it’s probably not out of the question.”

Emile chuckled. “Thank you.” he turned his head towards a clock on the wall and his eyes widened, “Ah, I apologize but I gotta go. Some responsibilities are calling. I’ll make sure your application gets to the right place. You should go regroup with your companions!”

“Oh.” Logan said, “Yes I should. It was… It was pleasant to see you again Emile.”

“Ditto!” Emile said, already rushing down the corridor, as he waved.

Logan stood by himself for a few moments and blinked slowly. He heard a strange noise from around the corner, and he could’ve sworn he saw a bird flapping along. That seemed rather inconvenient. He hoped someone got that sorted out soon.

* * *

Okay, maybe Patton hadn’t thought quite this far. He was looking at the wolf within the wagon, and scratching his head. “Hey, buddy…” he said nervously, “Uhm… I’m not entirely sure how to bring you into the city.”

He took a step back which caused the wolf to jump out as quickly as possible, looking incredibly relieved to finally be out of the wagon. It stretched and yawned, looking at its surroundings. Patton looked around nervously. There weren’t any people looking in his direction, so he quickly walked towards a nearby tree to hide himself and the wolf. Toby and Seth had stepped out of the wagon with him, with strange smiles on their faces. “So you’ve got no plan from here?” Toby asked.

Patton was about to say that he’d had no plan in the first place and was in fact, not entirely certain how he’d even made it this far but settled on shaking his head instead. “Not really, no.”

Toby huffed. “Well, that’s unfortunate.” he tilted his head backwards, and looked thoughtful. “I don’t think they’ll let you bring a free wolf in there. You’d have to make it look domesticated at the very least, and even then I think you’d attract some weird glances.”

“Yeah… Probably.” Patton said, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, and already slightly hungry again. He hadn’t had any breakfast. Ugh, he missed being able to think somewhat clearly. “If I could just get to talk to Thomas, I’m sure he could-”

Seth made a strange noise and held out both his arms as if he wanted Patton to stop talking. “Thomas!?” he asked confusedly, “Which Thomas would that be?”

“Uh…” Patton said, realizing that maybe he shouldn’t have said that, “Just my uh- friend.”

“The king?”

“Well I uhm… I know him.”

Seth stood still and stared at Patton for a few long moments. “You’re… You’re something else, what the _fuck_.”

“T-thank you?” Patton tried, petting the wolf’s head.

“You’re not gonna tell any authorities that we’re here are you?” Seth asked.

Patton’s eyes widened. “Authorities? I mean… No? So far you haven’t hurt anyone.”

Toby sighed and closed his eyes for a second. “Good. Cool. That’s great.” he smiled, “I guess we’ll leave you to it then.

Patton smiled back, a little sad to see them go, even if he didn’t know them that well. “Oh, yes, thank you! I owe you one.”

Toby chuckled, “Yeah maybe don’t ask to owe people things on your own accord, that’s not gonna be very beneficial in the long run.”

Patton laughed a bit, as Toby walked back to the wagon. “I’ll uh… I’ll remember! Take care of yourselves!” he paused, biting his lip. He looked around, to see if he could find anything to solve said predicament, but he wasn’t entirely sure what to do. His first thought was somehow getting the wolf to stay there, out of sight, but he wasn’t sure if that would succeed. This was the tavern thing all over again. “Wait!” he said.

Toby looked at him, tilting his head. “Yeah?”

“Could you do me one last favor?” Patton asked, quietly.

Toby tutted, and looked around, “Depends.”

“If you see… A bard with a lute, brown hair, and a white tunic, or a leather-dressed guy with a hood, or a guy with spectacles and a dark robe, and their names are either Roman, Virgil or Logan...” Patton took a deep breath, “Could you point them in my direction?”

Toby sighed and looked around. “Maybe.” he just said.

And even though it didn’t sound particularly sincere, Patton appreciated it anyway. Toby and Seth walked to the wagon and it didn’t take long before Seth made the horses trot ahead.

Patton kept looking after the wagon until the little dot disappeared, after which he turned to the wolf once more. “This is a predicament.” he mumbled to himself as well as the wolf.

There wasn’t any magical rope wrapped around the wolf anymore, and the wolf seemed happy to be free of it. Patton decided to sit down in the grass, because what else could you really do when you were stuck right outside your destination.

He looked at the wolf, its eyes deep and intense. “Why are you even here?” he asked, “Why are you following me?”

The wolf blinked, and sniffed Patton’s shoulder, which wasn’t really an answer, but it was a nice sentiment anyhow. Patton placed a hand on its head, and started petting the wolf cautiously. “Things are getting weird out here… Are you scared? You’re probably a very strong wolf, I’m sure you could protect yourself if you wanted to… Do you miss your pack?”

The wolf decided to lie down on the ground, and Patton smiled wryly. “Yeah, me too.” he said. He hummed thoughtfully, “Is it some sort of magic?” he asked, “May I have a look?”

The wolf closed its eyes, and Patton carefully focused his energy into the palm of his hand to try to feel the wolf’s magical energy. Everything seemed normal, but Patton wasn’t entirely sure what wolves normally felt like. Usually there wouldn’t be any magic that he understood, unless something was inherently magical, but there was something serene about the way the wolf felt. It wasn’t necessarily magical, just calm, and there were a few strange lumps of something, like a tangled ball of yarn. “It’s as if something is all jumbled.” Patton whispered to himself. He sighed. “All the wolves are acting strange and you are too… Just in a different way.”

* * *

Roman wasn’t sure what he expected from being alone with Virgil. They’d exchanged a couple of necessary words and walked to a spot near the entrance to the city, where they sat down next to each other in the grass. Virgil had almost immediately started picking bits of the grass apart, and it didn’t take long for Roman to do the same, barely realizing it. It was always nice to have something to do with your hands. They hadn’t said much to one another, and while Roman understood why, the silence was still a bit difficult to manage.

They sat there for several minutes, completely quiet, as they both searched for Patton among the many wagons and horses that entered and left the capital. There were fewer than there usually was, Roman noted.

“The capital is big.” Virgil eventually stated, and Roman was surprised he’d said anything at all. Virgil seemed almost surprised too, as he glanced up at Roman. “I haven’t… I don’t actually think I’ve seen that many people at once before, or well… At least not in such a… Big place…” he flinched slightly, as if he couldn’t quite get the hang of his words. Roman tried his best to send an encouraging smile, which Virgil responded to with an eye-roll.

“There are usually even more people moving in and out!” Roman said, though he didn’t look Virgil in the eyes, “The capital is the perfect place to cross through no matter where you wanna go, and it has many of the most important places in the kingdom!”

Virgil bit his lip and looked around. He picked up another blade of grass. “I…” he paused, “I don’t actually know that much about it.”

“It?” Roman raised an eyebrow, “The kingdom or the capital?”

Virgil tensed up. “The capital. Obviously.” he took a deep breath, “Though I’m a bit weak in history as well I guess.”

“Oh, that’s never been my specialty either, but I have seen the places in the capital, and I can tell they’re important!” he beamed, “They put on some of the most beautiful plays at the theatre here… And the sculptures! There are so many beautiful and fascinating works of art around here and-” he stopped himself and shook his head, “Or well, _I_ find it fascinating at least.”

Virgil looked up and Roman could’ve sworn he saw a quick and nervous smile on his face. “No it’s… I think it sounds cool, I guess.” Virgil said, moving a bit of hair away from his face, “I’d uh… I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the sights here if... _When_ Patton comes back.”

Roman nodded. “Yes of course. I hope he is safe.” he turned to Virgil, “You two are quite close aren’t you?”

Virgil’s expression became unreadable for a moment, and he bit his lip. “Sort of. Not that we’ve known each other for that long. I don’t…” he closed his eyes for a moment, tightly, and opened them again, “We’re friends.”

Roman wasn’t certain what to make of that response, so he simply hummed and tapped at the ground. There was silence for a few moments, and it seemed to weigh heavily at Roman’s chest. “Hey, I…

“I’m sorry by the way. I guess.” Virgil said quickly, as if he simply coughed up the string of words before he could stop them. “I was taking out some… Some anger on you, I guess and that wasn’t… That wasn’t cool.”

Roman’s eyes widened suddenly and he furrowed his eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yeah, like don’t read too much into it, I just…” he rubbed his face, “I’ve been stressed. A lot of things have been going on… You’re fine. I don’t uhm… I don’t hate you.

Roman couldn’t help but release a disbelieving chuckle, but it wasn’t the bad kind. He hoped Virgil knew that. “Is that… Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

Virgil released a surprised half-hissing sound, before he rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m going for a truce here Sir Princeton, don’t push it.”

Roman found that he didn’t mind Virgil’s presence too much now. There was an ever-growing fear in his chest that had nothing to do with the other man. He thought of his shoulder, and of strange ill intentions that were difficult to place. Was Virgil still suspicious of Roman? Was _Roman_ still suspicious of Virgil?

Perhaps a little, but all things considered it appeared they had a mutual enemy. Virgil seemed genuinely surprised that Patton was gone. He seemed to care. He seemed afraid, and Roman wasn’t sure how well that could be faked. If one was a good actor, perhaps it wouldn’t be too hard, but just then Roman realized that trusting Virgil was probably his best bet. Even if Virgil was lying, Roman wasn’t sure how much he had to lose. As long as Virgil didn’t know anything about Roman’s encounter with the culprit.

Roman nodded placing his tongue on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. “A truce…” he said quietly. He smiled and looked at Virgil, “Alright. I can do that.”

Virgil let out a relieved sigh and smiled slightly. “Cool. We’re cool for now then.”

Roman huffed. “We’re cool for now, indeed.”

Virgil swallowed something in his throat and frowned slightly. “And look, maybe I shouldn’t have stolen any of your stuff way back then.”

Roman tensed up slightly, tapping at the ground with his hand. “Ah, no. Do not worry. I shouldn’t be holding a grudge for so long anyhow.” he inhaled sharply, “I just… I didn’t like the idea of any of my supplies being taken from me. I know you didn’t take many, it's just…” he thought for a moment, unsure how to word the next part, “Growing up, my parents’ bakery was always going through a bit of a hard time… Financially that is. I suppose I must’ve become a little protective of the things I do have.” he sent Virgil a nervous smile that he didn’t quite like, “You must’ve needed it too though. I’m sure people don’t start stealing for no reason.”

Virgil looked a little surprised at the sentiment, hugging one of his knees as he bit the inside of his cheek. “Y-yeah… I…” he bit his lip, “Yeah. Sorry. It was a rough time it’s… It’s better now.”

There was something distant in Virgil’s eyes as he said it that made Roman wonder what Virgil was refraining from saying. But he couldn’t afford to question Virgil’s motives now. “It’s forgiven. Just don’t try to cross me again or I _will_ kill you with my sword.”

“Oh yeah that sounds real scary.” Virgil said, rolling his eyes, “And I could totally still stab you if I wanted to, you know.”

Roman caught himself chuckling a little at that.

“Uh, excuse me?” someone said.

Virgil and Roman turned their heads, to see a man who had just gotten out of a cart. He looked between them. “Are you Roman, Virgil, or Logan by any chance?”

“Huh?” Virgil said.

Roman blinked confusedly, standing up immediately. “Yes?”

“Uh, some wolf-tamer named Patton is looking for you.” the guy said nonchalantly. He gestured towards some trees right outside the city.

Roman’s mouth gaped. “Oh!” he looked at Virgil. “He… He’s here!”

Virgil looked at the man disbelievingly, and looked like he was moments away from running towards the place the man had pointed. “Oh. Uh thank you? Wait…” he paused, “What did you say he was?”

* * *

The robin followed Emile Picani as soon as it was possible for it to do so. Remus kept it on track, refraining from saying his comments out loud, which was _pretty damn difficult_ by the way, because the decor in that place was basically asking for it.

Deceit wasn’t saying anything, but Remus could feel that he was both excited and tense, as he waited for some sort of sign or response from Remus. Sometimes Deceit asked questions, and Remus couldn’t answer them with anything but a single nod.

Emile walked down the corridors, and the robin quietly followed, hiding in the chandeliers. Remus tried to peck at a candle, but figured that starting a fire would probably be unwanted attention. He took a piece of stearin and placed it under the nose of some guy on a nearby painting to give him a little stearin-mustache, before continuing ahead.

Emile eventually made it downstairs to some sort of archive, and Remus watched closely. There weren’t any people around, and Remus was about to blurt something out about how it would be the perfect place for either murder or something else unspeakable you didn’t want curious eyes to see, but had to stop the words before they made it out. Ugh, this was so fucking _boring_.

Emile walked to a nearby stack of papers and placed Logan’s application there. Remus almost immediately noticed a very important-looking cupboard. He flew towards it, to inspect it further, while Emile was occupied by some other papers. “There’s some weird-ass cupboard here.” Remus whispered. “It has a pattern on it.”

The pattern in question, stretched all the way across it. It was clearly covered in some sort of magical symbols that Deceit would probably know the significance of if he actually saw them. Remus wasn’t sure how to describe them though. They vaguely looked like a bunch of scattered half-melted bones, intertwining and bending around each other, lining the sides of the cupboard. There was some sort of ancient writing on the top, though Remus was pretty sure that was just for clout or something.

“What makes it ‘weird-ass’ exactly?” Deceit drawled curiously.

Remus looked around to make sure the robin hadn’t accidentally made any suspicious sounds that would alert Picani. “Symbols. Magic I think.”

“Hm…” DeeDee hummed thoughtfully, “What do they look like?”

“Strange intertwining melting bones?” Remus tried.

Remus could basically hear the way DeeDee wrinkled his nose. “Hm. I see.” he whispered. He mumbled something to himself, and Remus could hear Dee leading his hand across Remus’ bedsheets, slowly as he probably evaluated his options. That sort of thing was always so important to Dee. Evaluating options. “Do you know if it can open?”

Remus shrugged, and led the robin down to bite the beak around the handle. He pulled, but quickly realized that even if the cupboard was unlocked, the robin was hardly strong enough to open it. It tasted like wood, and Remus felt a splinter on the robin’s tongue. “Not budging.” he whispered.

Just then Emile turned around, and the robin made eye contact with him.

Well shit that probably wasn’t good.

“He’s seen me.” Remus said, and he noticed that the robin chirped quickly along with him, so he immediately bit his lip to cover his mouth.

“What?” Deceit said, a bit of fear and surprise slipping into his otherwise ridiculously composed tone.

Remus decided not to reply to that quick wh-question, and tried to think through his actions. He had to figure out what to do. He needed to do something smart. _Think_ Remus. _Think_.

As Remus looked at his surroundings to find a way out, he remembered that thinking was actually incredibly overrated, and that there was only one perfectly logical step to take from here.

He started pecking at the cupboard, while he did a little tap dance with his feet, because why the fuck not? Maybe he could peck a hole through the thing and get a peak at what was inside before Picani inevitably caught him.

Picani wasn’t trying to catch him at all at first it seemed. He stared at the robin with a dumbfounded expression. “How did you get in here, little buddy?” he asked.

Remus wished he could’ve answered that question, because a talking robin would probably make that expression even more dumbfounded, but instead he just kept pecking at the cupboard. “What is happening?” DeeDee asked, and Remus replied with a shrug, finding it difficult to speak while the robin’s beak was repeatedly stuck in the wood.

Emile walked closer with cautious steps. “Don’t be scared, let’s get you out of here.”

Remus pecked even harder, the beak beginning to hurt now, and as he pecked one final time at the forming hole in the wood, his beak got stuck. Oh. Well, that was just fucking convenient wasn’t it. He tried to wiggle it free, and heard Emile chuckling a little, though it wasn’t in the mocking sort of way. It was soft, as if he wanted to make sure he didn’t startle the robin. He looked like he was in deep thought for a few moments before he tutted. “One moment.” he said.

Emile Picani stepped closer, placing his hand on the cupboard and closing his eyes. Remus saw a sudden light, though he couldn’t properly see what it was elicited from. Then, Remus heard the cupboard door opening. Soon after, Remus felt a gentle poke to the robin’s beak, and he was free. He rubbed his beak or his nose. It was difficult to keep track of which was which after a while. Sometimes he imagined getting stuck in whatever he controlled forever, unable to recognize his own thoughts and movements anymore, and losing any sense of identity. That would be kind of messed up, he thought with a smile, before looking around frantically. Emile was chuckling still, and it dawned upon Remus that this was his chance. He flew down to the cupboard, which wasn’t filled with anything special-looking, much to Remus’ disappointment. He’d hoped for some tentacle monster or some other crime against the Gods, but instead there was nothing but a stack of important-looking papers. He landed right inside of the cupboard. Emile gasped as he did so. “Don’t go in there, little buddy! What if you get stuck in there too?”

The coward Emile didn't seem too keen on removing the little robin with his bare hands, so Remus took advantage of the opportunity to scan through the papers he could see. Some of the information looked rather irrelevant, and he pushed some papers aside with his feet. Emile looked panicked for a moment. “No no no, don’t do that!” he said, as he reached into the cupboard. Remus read quickly as his eyes finally landed on a particular name that made the robin’s eyes widen. Well that was convenient, he thought to himself, as he looked from Picani to the piece of paper. Emile reached his hand inside of the cupboard, begging the robin to jump onto it.

Remus looked at the paper once again, doing his best to memorize the information on it. He would have to relay it to DeeDee in a few moments. Remus pouted and pecked Emile’s hand. Emile went ‘ouch’ as he drew his hand back to him, and Remus chuckled in a way he hoped was visible on the bird. It would be funny, if Emile saw a strange and unbirdly grin on the innocent little robin.

Then Remus flew out at an incredible speed, trying to stick out his weird tiny robin tongue, as he flew out of the little archive. “I fixed it.” he said.

Deceit let out a breath. “How so?”

“I know who our target is.” Remus said, grinning, “And I did it by pecking at random shit.”

* * *

“Patton, where the _hell_ did you go?” a familiar voice said. Patton turned around, confused, and was suddenly overwhelmed by relief. Virgil. Virgil with Roman following right behind him. “Virgil! Roman!” Patton exclaimed appropriately, as he found himself running closer, almost without realizing it. The second he was within reach, he wrapped his arms around Virgil in a tight embrace, finally letting go of the tension he’d barely realized was in his body. He let out a breath that sounded half like a sob, and Virgil let out a strange but content sound too. Once Virgil withdrew from the embrace he said, “Don’t _ever_ run off again. Please... How… How did it happen?”

Patton sighed, and realized that he couldn’t quite tie the strings of his thoughts together. He shook his head and went. “I’ll uh- I’ll talk about it later.” he said, to get the tension and energy building up to go away once more. He looked at Roman and walked closer to him, hugging him as soon as he possibly could. Roman seemed a little surprised, though he reciprocated with a certain passion, that was starting to become a little familiar to Patton as well. “I’m so… I’m so relieved you’re both okay.” Patton said, feeling tears that began to well up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away. “Where’s… Where’s Logan?”

“Looking for you in the capital. We’re meeting up with him pretty soon.” Virgil said.

“Oh thank… Thank Gods. I was… I was really worried about you all.” Patton said quietly, unable to keep himself from smiling, because they were all okay. They were all safe.

“You were worried about _us_? _Please_ , you were the one who disappeared out of nowhere and had to go through who-knows what to make it here.” Roman said, “You must be tired and in need of rest, you heroic ray of sunshine!”

Suddenly, Roman’s eyes fell on something behind the trees. He drew his sword and jumped back, and Patton gasped at the reaction. “There’s a wolf!” he whispered harshly, and Virgil jumped back along with him. Virgil looked at it, breathing a little faster.

Patton turned around to look at the little wolf. He held up his arms defensively. “No no don’t worry!” he said quickly, “This wolf is nice.”

“The wolf… Is what?” Roman asked.

Virgil narrowed his eyes and stared at the creature, taking a few steps forward, to Patton’s surprise. “Wolf…” he whispered, “Is that…” he turned his head towards Patton, “It hasn’t attacked you? It just sort of… Followed you around?” Virgil asked.

Patton tilted his head. “It did! I don’t quite know what’s going on with it, but it seems kind of lost.”

Virgil stepped even closer, and the wolf stepped ahead too. The wolf sniffed Virgil’s hand, and somehow something in its expression changed. Its tail moved slightly, not quite as enthusiastically as a puppy would, but there was something pleased about it nonetheless. “It’s the… It’s the same wolf…”

“The same wolf? The same wolf as what?” Roman asked, turning to Virgil. Despite the situation and the confusion, Patton noted that it was new that Roman talked to Virgil directly at all, and he would’ve smiled a little at that if he wasn’t just as confused himself.

“Uh- The wolf that wrestled me into Penzivi lake? Something happened to its mind when it fell down, I think. It just sort of followed us through there.”

“Oh!” Patton said. His expression softened. “Oh the poor thing! It must’ve gotten separated from its pack after that.”

The wolf leaned into Virgil’s touch, as Virgil patted it’s head, with a gentle smile Patton hadn’t seen in a while. “I guess so…”

“So the wolf just… Followed you? With no hostile intentions?” Roman asked.

“A lot of people seem surprised about that.” Patton said with a chuckle, “And I don’t really blame them, it’s pretty weird.”

Virgil bit his lip. “Well… Well, we can’t just bring it into the capital!” he suddenly said, “We have to find somewhere to let it go, or we’re gonna get arrested and thrown in prison, or something!” he was breathing a bit faster Patton noted, but as he let his hand slide down the wolf’s back it became more stable once again.

“Yeah, about that…” Patton said quietly, looking around them, “Maybe if we… If I could talk to the king we could maybe get permission to bring it in there?”

Virgil scoffed. “There is absolutely no way anyone is going to let a wolf into the city, while monsters are still going feral.” he said.

Patton took a deep breath, “Yeah you’re right…”

“What if…” Roman began, and both Virgil and Patton turned their heads towards him simultaneously. “Perhaps we should all regroup here, and see if the Spectacled Spectacle has anything to say on the matter.” he looked at the wolf, still accepting Virgil’s petting eagerly, “I can go fetch him, and we can attempt to figure out what exactly is going on with it, before we resume our journey.”

“Excellent idea Roman!” Patton exclaimed, clapping his hands together once.

Virgil nodded. “Yeah, not bad.”

Roman smiled and let out a breath. “Excellent! I shall retrieve him at once!”

* * *

A figure rushed through the woods, with a bag over his shoulder, looking as dignified as he possibly could. He reached a little cottage in the middle of nowhere, knocking on the door gently, adjusting his cape.

The door opened, Remy becoming visible in the doorway. As he saw Deceit, standing right outside with a slightly frustrated and possibly excited expression, Remy made a sound that could be both a groan and a laugh. He looked relaxed at the sight of the other, but bags were clearly visible underneath his eyes. He always looked tired. He always was.

“Back so soon?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Leave kudos and a comment if you feel like it. I hope you're having a nice day! 
> 
> I'm @dramaticsnakes on tumblr, if you wanna hang out over there.


	10. Two birds with one stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned with another chapter! Welcome back :D
> 
> I once again can't thank A Random Thing enough for beta-reading this chapter! I really really appreciate it.
> 
> Since last time I have received a piece of lovely fanart of Patton and our dear wolf friend, from the amazing @drarrymalecsolangelo on tumblr! Have a look at it here: https://drarrymalecsolangelo.tumblr.com/post/639426748016214016/happy-birthday-lumiiiiii-i-cant-believe-youre
> 
> Tw: Poison and cursing. Let me know if I missed anything!

Remy leaned back in his chair. “No.” he said.

“Oh, come now, Remy, it’s only a short trip.” Deceit drawled, his tone tinged with honey and sweetness that could only be faked.

Remy widened his eyes. “Too bad, bitch. I don’t work for you.” he said with vivid gestures to solidify his annoyance.

Deceit pouted. Remy was always so difficult to deal with. Deceit sighed deeply. “Remy, I simply want you to deliver an object to a robin in the capital. You can be in and out in a single minute if you wish to. It would be a mild inconvenience at most.”

“Yeah, so?” Remy said, placing his hand on the bottom of his chin, “I’m not on anyone’s team, and you’re making me interfere directly because it benefits you.” he tutted, “And I simply don’t bother anymore babe.”

Deceit groaned. “Oh, why do you always insist on being so ridiculously neutral!? You’re not being as aesthetically brooding as you think you are.”

Remy exhaled through his nose, looking amused for a moment, “Rich coming from you, honey.” he said.

“This would be incredibly beneficial for the plan and- “

“And that sounds like an incredibly unbeneficial pile of not-my-problem!” Remy said with raised eyebrows and an annoyed expression, “I’m not a damn teleportation device. I have my own shit going on.”

“Yeah? Like _what_?”

“Like convincing you to get out of my cottage, before I strangle you and/or teleport you into an active volcano!”

Deceit rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried his best to examine Remy’s expression to find the right thing to say. He looked at the dark eyes attentively and spoke in a calm tone. “You know, there’s more in it for you, if you help than if you don’t.”

Remy rolled his eyes. “Like what? The beverage you’ve got there?”

“You know what I’m referring to.”

Remy sighed, in a resigned sort of way, and looked at the far wall. “People have tried that one on me before, but none of you actually know how that works.” he placed his elbow on the nearby desk, leaning against it, “And promises like that don’t mean shit.”

Deceit felt something strange and unproductive creeping up in his chest, which he tried his best to remove by clearing his throat. “With all the resources at our command it’s certainly not impossible.”

Remy rolled his eyes half-heartedly. “You’re not doing this for me. None of you are. I’ve handled it by myself for years, and I intend to keep doing that. Not like I have much of a choice.”

Deceit brushed some hair behind his ear, a hint of regret in his gut, which was mildly uncomfortable meaning the best course of action was to ignore it. “Fine. Why don’t you do it for the heck of it then? That seems to be your motivation for most things.”

Remy huffed. “Maybe.” He exhaled in an incredibly obvious and exasperated way, as he stretched out his arms, and eventually let one of them rest languidly on his desk. “If I get your stupid robin the stupid vial, will you leave me alone? Your associate can get me next time you oh so desperately need someone to do all the hard work for you.”

Deceit thought it over for a moment, wondering if that was a good idea. Despite everything though, he trusted Remus’ judgement. More so than anyone else’s. And perhaps that was a sign that Deceit was in some dangerous territory, but he didn’t want to think about it like that. Remus meant something to Deceit, and Deceit could count very few people who mattered in the same way. And perhaps it would end with a burned cottage or a pile of dead rats, but Remy seemed to enjoy the unpredictability of that. Deceit smirked. “Deal.”

Remy rolled his eyes again. “Don’t be so smug about it, babe. I’m not doing this for you.” he reached out for the object with his gloved hand. “I’ll give it to the robin, and then I count on you being gone when I get back.”

“You’ll _never_ see me again.” Deceit said, in the noncommittal way he usually used when he made specific promises.

* * *

“Huh.” Logan said, adjusting his spectacles, “I did not… Anticipate that the wolf would return in this way.”

Roman, Virgil, Logan, and Patton were all standing right next to the wolf, who could potentially be feeling a little cornered, though its nonchalant expression indicated otherwise. Virgil felt strangely at home as he stood near it. Strangely safe, which probably shouldn’t be the case standing next to a wolf who had effectively wrestled him into a lake, which only just so happened not to be the type of lake you could drown in, because magic was damn confusing.

“I don’t really know what’s going on with it.” Patton said, apologetically, “It started following me after it chewed up the ropes I was tied up wi-“

“The _what-_ ” Virgil said, jumping up as soon as he processed the words, “You were _tied up_?”

“That is an excellent question, actually.” Logan said, turning to Patton, “What exactly happened to you?” there was a hint of concern in Logan’s voice, that Virgil had learned to recognize by now.

“Uh… Well…” Patton tried, “It was sort of a mess.”

“What did that _fiend_ do to you?” Roman said, scowling, one hand resting on his sword.

“Uh… It was Elam Fidelio. He made me go into the woods and then he kinda… Stabbed me with something? It was some sort of poison.” he gasped, “Actually I should probably go get some herbs to tend to that, I don’t want any sudden side-effects!”

“That is likely a good idea.” Logan said with a nod, “However, it would be ideal if you cleared up some of our confusion as well. Did you have any knowledge of the replacement?”

“The… What?” Patton asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Virgil felt his hand shake slightly, as he refrained from saying anything. Virgil noted that Roman was being awfully quiet as well, though Virgil wasn’t certain why.

“Someone took your place somehow, while you were gone.” Logan explained, “Someone who looked almost exactly like you. Which should be impossible, since no known shapeshifting magic allows for that number of adjustments to one’s appearance.” he laughed a bit disbelievingly, but he didn’t seem too amused.

Patton looked clueless. “I had no idea about that.” he fiddled with his sleeve. “Oh, that’s… That’s pretty scary…” he said, his face becoming pale.

“It was…” Roman said quietly. Virgil nodded.

“We are not sure how the culprit, possibly Elam, did that, but they took the shard on the way.” Logan said, keeping his tone remarkable calm, even if there was still a hint of something else underneath.

“The- OH!” Patton said, his eyes widening, “Oh Gods, I’m so sorry! Elam asked me about that I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have told him where it was!”

“It’s not your fault.” Virgil was the first to say.

“I was the one who ended up telling him how to get to it.” Logan added shamefully, “We were all fooled by whoever it was… If Fidelio and the one who pretended to be you were the same person, of course, which I deem highly probable.”

Patton shook his head. “That sounds confusing. I don’t…” he paused, “Why would anyone even target us in the first place? Why would someone pretend to be… _Me_?”

“I assume it was because of the shard, though we can’t be entirely certain.” Logan said, biting his lip. Virgil took a deep breath. “Though, I do suggest we be careful and avoid drawing too much attention to ourselves.” his eyes landed on the wolf, “By which I mean, that bringing a free wolf into the capital probably wouldn’t be ideal.”

Roman opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and opened it once more. “Perhaps we could… Try to figure out what’s going on with it? Why it’s following you?”

“Yes, I assume that would be a good course of action.” Logan said, nodding at Roman, and Virgil caught a small, relieved smile on Roman’s face, “But as far as I could tell from last time, magic wasn’t at play. At least not anything inflicted directly by humans.” he hummed, “The wolf has appeared disoriented ever since it fell down the lake with us, but I am not sure if we can properly pinpoint why.”

“Something must’ve made it hostile in the first place, right?” Roman asked hesitantly.

“That is correct.” Logan said with a satisfied nod, “But I am not certain what that would be.” he kneeled down, examining the wolf once again, “What was the wolf’s behaviour like on the journey?” Logan asked.

Patton thought about the question. “It was pretty… Passive. It walked its own way, but it seemed to wait for me? And when I went into the wagon I got here in, it followed, even though it clearly didn’t enjoy being there.” he continued to fiddle with his sleeve, “I tried to see if it was affected by any sort of magic too, but mostly it just seemed… Jumbled.”

Logan looked thoughtful, as he carefully listened to Patton’s words. “I see…” he sighed, closing his eyes, and placed his hand on the wolf’s head. The wolf looked up towards it for a moment, but decided it wasn’t too important, merely strange. A faint light appeared from Logan’s hand. Virgil inhaled sharply at the sight, though he tried his best to hide it. It was just a simple and neutral spell.

_There is no such thing as neutral magic. It’s all a matter of cause and effect._

After a moment Logan pulled back his hand gently. “I see what you mean. It’s not as neutral as it should be from what I know of mammals this size.”

“That’s what I thought!” Patton said, sounding a little excited, and Virgil couldn’t help but smile, “It’s all tangled up in there, as if something has affected it but not… Directly? Does that make sense?”

Logan let out a small chuckle, “That makes perfect sense. Patton. I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase that myself.”

Patton smiled proudly.

“I am unsure what exactly is causing these reactions, I’ll admit.” Logan said cautiously, looking directly into the wolf’s eyes. “I don’t know what could affect natural magic almost seamlessly like that-“ he trailed off suddenly at the end, his eyes becoming wider, looking directly ahead as if he was staring at nothing. Virgil squinted at him. Logan shook his head, clearing his throat. “No, I don’t know.”

Virgil couldn’t help but think that that wasn’t entirely true, and that thought scared him.

Because at the words “ _indirectly”_ and “ _affecting natural magic almost seamlessly”_ his own mind was reminded of similar words before. A dark feeling gathered in his chest at the idea that that was somehow an association Logan had made too.

It was probably unlikely that they were thinking of the exact same thing, but Logan’s deductive reasoning could certainly be a threat. Not to Virgil of course, but to the snake. And to Remus. That would’ve been relieving, if Virgil didn’t think about the fact that Remus and Deceit could potentially figure out about that too. Virgil didn’t want Logan to be marked as a threat by them. Deceit always had a tendency to do rather stupid things to get his way, when it came to threats. Always disguised it as if it was the smartest possible course of action. Virgil was sick of hearing about the means to an end.

He didn’t hear about that anymore, but he still thought about it a lot. Normally he would barely think Deceit’s plans were realistic, but something about what was going on all around them, gave Virgil a rather icky feeling of dread.

They were going to be fine. Patton was safe, and they were going to be fine. He took a deep breath.

“So… We’re stuck here?” Roman asked, “Is there no other way?”

Logan looked from the wolf, to Roman, Virgil and Patton and said quietly “There must be something, but I’m not sure if I… Have any clue what that would be.”

Roman wrinkled his nose and stepped a little closer to the wolf, inspecting it clearly. “Well, you mentioned that magic can’t affect too much of someone’s appearance, right?”

Logan tilted his head, “That is correct, yes.”

“So, that means, it’s possible to alter _some_ things?

“It is!” Patton said, looking nervous for a second as he’d broken into the conversation. When no one spoke over him, he continued, “We practiced it on smaller objects and creatures at magic school. We’d just change small things, like the color, and the shape of certain parts.” he gasped and looked up at Roman with a smile, “Wait, are you saying?”

Roman nodded, “I’m not the best at magic knowledge, so I might be wrong, but…”

“ _Can_ we Logan? Can we!?” Patton asked, clapping his hands and looking directly at Logan.

Logan narrowed his eyes, looking rather confused. He looked as if he was trying to solve an incomprehensible riddle, when something clicked. He looked less confused, sure, but there was a hint of disbelief resting in his expression. “Oh.” he said, “Oh, you want to…?” he shook his head, though not necessarily in disagreement, “You want to change the wolf’s appearance to appear less threatening to the people in the capital?”

Roman smiled a little befuddled, “That’s right Specs. Is that… A possibility?”

“A… A possibility, sure, but…” he squinted at both of them, “You are aware that this would require significant supervision of the wolf, a reliable story, and that a dog of this size would probably still draw attention to itself, right? Wouldn’t it… I mean I could imagine it could create entirely new problems, instead of solving them.”

Virgil found himself speaking before he could stop himself. “To be fair, our current problems are that there is a wolf who probably won’t stop following us anytime soon, the fact that we need to get into the capital where wolves likely aren’t allowed, that some people are apparently targeting _us_ specifically with powers we’re not used to seeing, and that there are hostile monsters everywhere outside the capital. “ he said in one breath, looking at the ground. As he looked up he noticed that everyone else was looking at _him_ and it made him uneasy for a moment. He took a deep breath, “I mean, Logan’s right, it’s a terrible idea and… I’ll stop talking.”

Logan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms and looked Virgil up and down. Virgil had a hard time figuring out what the expression meant. Logan closed his eyes and huffed. “And no one has a better plan?”

No one replied.

Logan sighed. “So, what is our plan Patton?”

Patton looked surprised to have been asked, but then he smiled hesitantly. “We should probably go in and find someone with more information about these things? Uh, maybe it’s a good idea to have two magic users with the wolf, and then searching from there?”

Virgil froze. “You want us to split up?” he asked.

Patton looked worried. “No, we don’t have to!”

“It would be smart.” Logan said, though Virgil couldn’t tell what his personal feelings on the matter were. “Patton and I can go with the wolf, and Roman and Virgil can search the capital near some of the popular areas. Look for other solutions. We can regroup by…” he turned to Roman.

Roman looked thoughtful. “There’s a back alley next to the apothecary. We won’t bring too much attention to ourselves there.”

* * *

Remy groaned as he was standing right outside the capital, the vial with something sharp attached to it, in hand and an annoyed expression on his face. He was sipping the beverage the Hidden One had brought him, wondering once more why he had even said yes to doing this.

For the heck of it, of course. Remy always did things for the heck of it. It was a part of his aesthetic. A part of his presence and the fragile identity he’d managed to maintain through the years. Not that Remy knew what the core of it all was.

But Remy was above that stupid and sad line of thinking, because at some point he had to get tired of that and the tedious little voice in the back of his mind that insisted on yelling bullshit comments at him. What a fucking bitch.

Remy rubbed his eyes, tired of the damn light outside. This was why he stayed in the woods or the cottage on most days. The sun was so bright, and it was uncomfortable to those eyes of his. Where was that damn robin?

Remy remembered well, how he’d done things like this in the past. He always insisted he wouldn’t, because he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to bother anymore, and he wasn’t there to help anyone with their stupid passion projects built from bygone legacies based in lies and over exaggerations.

Remy looked up at the sky, seeing a little robin darting towards him. He smirked slightly, because Deceit’s associate… (Remus?) was looking through its eyes somehow, and while Deceit was an annoying one, Remus was at least annoying in the unpredictable sort of way. Remy enjoyed anything that managed to be unpredictable. It wasn’t an easy task. “There you are.” he grumbled, as the robin landed on his shoulder. It pecked gently at his ear, and Remy laughed. “Cut that out, hon.” Remy said, gently holding the vial in front of the bird’s mouth. “Here you go. Thank me later. Come over to the cottage and we’ll see where it goes.” he said jokingly with a wink.

The bird chirped something as a reply, and after a few seconds of the incomprehensible chirping, the bird winked back. Remy chuckled, “Yeah sure, whatever you say.”

The robin opened its beak and snatched the little vial, sticking its tongue out at Remy before it took off once more.

Remy huffed. The task hadn’t taken too long, but he was still sort of pissed at himself for doing it. Remy hadn’t bothered asking exactly what was in the vial, or what Deceit was even planning in the first place. He’d probably forget anyway, and usually the plans were eerily similar to something that had been done or said before. Remy had long since stopped caring too much about the consequences of his actions, though sometimes a treacherous sort of thinking managed to sneak up on him.

Ugh, thoughts were bitches, and so was Remy’s damn heart. He hated that thing.

* * *

Virgil and Roman went back to the capital together. Roman hadn’t expected to be left alone with Virgil once more but perhaps it was alright. Roman had hardly given getting to know Virgil a chance, and now that Patton was safe, the uncertain tension had died down.

While looking for solutions, Roman could give Virgil a little tour of the city. If Virgil wanted to of course.

Roman did feel a bit useless, though. It was a feeling that always settled so weirdly in his gut, and he didn’t quite want to analyse it. He merely felt a bit misplaced, because Logan, Patton and Virgil all had some sort of relation to the task at hand, said task being the wolf. Roman was just there, as a spare or someone who was going to provide a bit of extra help or moral support.

Yet, that was what he’d signed up for wasn’t it? He shouldn’t really complain. He’d offered to be there as an extra fighting hand and a guide to Logan and the rest of the group, and now they’d made it there. Roman had gotten adventure and adrenaline, and wasn’t that what he wanted?

Roman had always been so set on _wanting_ something. It was his endless ambitions, and his dreaming nature, yet it always seemed to either crash or he simply didn’t desire the right thing. There was always more to achieve, always more to do, and Roman wanted to make something of himself. He wanted to earn something resembling glory, or just do something that made him feel like he’d _achieved_ something. Done something memorable, and maybe bring at least a little bit of money back home to his parents in the process.

Roman had always been a dreamer, but if he couldn’t do what he set out to do, what was the point of that really? What was the point of his dreams if he couldn’t use them for something?

But those were just some annoying and intricate feelings, and Roman could always turn those into a song or a poem he’d never share, later. He shook his head and smiled at Virgil. “What do you like to see when you go places?” he asked, “There are many sights to see, where we might be able to ask people for some guidance with our little problem.

Virgil looked around them, looking a bit thoughtful. Then he bit his lip. “I don’t know… I’ve never been much of a… Sight-seer I guess.”

“Hm, well there’s an art exhibition a little later today I believe, and the castle academy is absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention the library, which is altogether quite fascinating. Oh, and there’s a wonderful statue of Queen Maya, in the city square!”

Virgil tensed up slightly, but not for long enough to make Roman consider why. Virgil quickly followed it up with a laugh, “Sounds neat. Any music around? Seems like your sort of thing.”

“Oh, my dear Virgil, _all_ of the arts are my thing.” he said with a dramatic sigh, “Though if it’s music you’re interested in there are always people playing in the square as well. Two birds with one stone.”

Virgil looked contemplative for a moment, his eyes turning distant, and Roman couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in Virgil’s mind just then. Then Virgil looked determined. “You know what? Sure. Let’s go look at the damn Queen.”

Roman suddenly laughed, “Now I’ve never heard anyone refer to Queen _Maya_ as the ‘damn queen’.”

“I don’t have to be respectful. She’s dead.” Virgil said matter-of-factly. While Roman was a little confused at the bluntness, he couldn’t help but feel as if it was a product of the eased tension.

“Yes, she is dead, and she was a _legend_.” Roman stated, “If it wasn’t for her, the kingdom would look very different today.”

Virgil huffed, looking down for a moment, though he still smiled ever so slightly. “Oh, I’m very certain of that.” he said quietly.

And so, the two of them continued onwards, down the streets and around the people. Virgil stayed near the buildings, trying his best to stay out of the way. While he blended in nicely, the darkly dressed man still looked out of his element in the crowd. Roman wondered if Virgil came from somewhere smaller. Well, likely since this was the capital and Virgil had never been, but still, Roman wondered _how_ small.

That was when something quite strange happened.

Among the crowds of unfamiliar faces, and all the muffled words of people chatting, Roman saw someone he recognized. The memory was vague, and at first, Roman thought it was just a random case of déjà vu.

Though the eye-patch did stand out quite a bit, didn’t it?

“Huh.” Roman whispered to himself, as he looked at the man walking a bit ahead of them. He wasn’t standing too far from the square, though he hadn’t quite turned a corner yet. He wore a long jacket, and leather gloves, as well as an eye-patch. He was drinking from some sort of cup. “Richard…” Roman whispered to himself.

Virgil was suddenly slowing down, and Roman wondered if his words had caused it. He did seem focused on what was ahead of them though, and soon enough, Roman realized that Virgil too, was looking at the man in question. “Shit.” Roman could’ve sworn he heard him whisper.

Roman blinked, looking and feeling a little dumbfounded. “What was that?”

Virgil shook his head. “Nothing nothing, let’s just keep walking.” the words came out quickly, and Virgil picked up the pace, suddenly trying to stay within the crowd. Roman had a difficult time following.

“Hold on, hold on!” Roman said, “An acquaintance of mine is over there.”

“A what?” Virgil said, looking up at Roman. He did so, just as the man Roman recognized turned his head, his eyes landing on Virgil and then Roman.

“Excuse me sir, are you… Are you who I think you are?” Roman asked, stepping closer. Virgil started breathing faster, and Richard’s eyes were still fixed on Virgil.

Richard looked a little caught off guard, and Roman was unsure if he recognized him too. Probably not. It had been a short encounter, and probably not quite as meaningful to the other as it had been to him. Virgil froze, and mouthed something to himself that Roman didn’t quite catch. “Uh.” Richard said, “That largely depends on who you think I am, hon.”

Virgil was looking away from Richard, though after a moment or so, his eyes were suddenly fixed on him. “Richard, right?” Roman said.

Virgil blinked. “Wait-“ he trailed off.

Richard looked from Roman to Virgil, his eyes eventually ending on Roman. “Yeah, that’s right.” he said, “Do I… Do I know you?”

Virgil looked rather restless, as he stood next to Roman. “Ah, probably not. I just remember meeting you in a tavern once. It was one of my first performances. Roman is the name.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes confusedly. “What did you say his na-“

“Roman…” Richard repeated quickly, seemingly tasting the name, “What did you perform?”

“A few songs, and a poem of mine!” Roman said, a little awkwardly. He wasn’t too proud of the things he’d made then anymore, but that was just part of the process of improving, wasn’t it?

He remembered the night quite clearly now that he thought about it. The incandescent candles in the dark evening, as Roman awaited some sort of response for his performance. Any sort of response. He received a bit of light applause, and it was good. It was a start. Yet, Roman couldn’t help but feel something was missing. At the table there was a man, with an eyepatch and he sent Roman a smile. Roman went to him, because he seemed friendly. There was something pleasant about his presence.

_Liked your performance, he said. Something about the theme of the poem stuck with me._

“Oh.” Richard said, scanning Roman’s face. He briefly glanced at Virgil, before looking thoughtful once more. Then his mouth formed an ‘o’ shape, “Ah, _that_ bard. I remember you.” he said with a small smile.

“You do?” Roman asked, feeling something light up within him.

“Yeah, babe. You gave me the poem, I remember.” Richard said with a gentle huff, “It was neat. Pretty unique. Don’t know if I still have it.”

“Oh, that’s alright!” Roman said, “I am pleased my efforts were recognized by someone.”

Richard exhaled through his nose, “Yeah no problem.” he looked at Virgil again, something unreadable in his expression. Roman noticed that Virgil was breathing faster and wondered if it was just because of the people or maybe the sudden interaction. “Where are you headed?”

“We were just going to have a look at the statue. My friend here hasn’t seen it before.” Roman explained, gesturing to Virgil. Roman wondered why Virgil looked so bothered by the exchange. Maybe Roman should check on him afterwards. Wait, was it about being called a friend?

Richard’s eyes widened for a brief moment, and he smirked, though Roman couldn’t quite tell at what. “Ah the old Maya statue. I was on my way in that direction too.” he said, “Not that it’s that interesting.”

“Well, it is the Queen herself.” Roman said.

“It’s a statue of the Queen, and she is dead.” Richard added with a shrug.

“You’re both so uncultured.” Roman said half-jokingly.

For some reason, that made Richard laugh. “Yeah yeah, I bet.”

“We can go somewhere else.” Virgil mumbled.

Roman turned to him. “Are you alright, Virgil?”

Virgil looked up at him, something flashing by his eyes before he shook his head. “Yeah. Fine.” he said, but Roman wasn’t sure if he believed him.

“We can go…” Roman said hesitantly, “If you want.”

Virgil looked… Somewhat conflicted, though Roman couldn’t quite place why. It was as if Virgil was debating whether he would walk into a dark and mysterious cave or if he should stay safely on the other side. One would assume that Virgil was the type of person who’d stay safe perhaps, but Roman didn’t quite think so at this point. Virgil walked into danger, he just did so cautiously. “No.” Virgil said, “Like I said, I’m good.”

Virgil looked at Richard once again, and Richard looked back with a smile. Roman didn’t catch the look in Virgil’s eyes, but he figured it wasn’t too important. “Wanna go with us?” Roman asked Richard.

Richard hesitated for a moment. “Eh, I’m leaving soon, buuut since I’m passing by anyway…” he said.

Richard started walking immediately, and Roman couldn’t do anything but follow. Virgil groaned, and Roman looked at him. “Do you know him or…?” Roman asked Virgil.

Virgil clenched his fist. “Nah.” he said, shaking his head.

“You seem troubled…” Roman added.

“For the last time, it’s _fine_!” Virgil said, though he quickly silenced himself, “I mean, yeah it’s cool.”

Roman furrowed his eyebrows, shook his head and looked at Richard once again.

The music on the streets became louder and louder, and Roman noticed a group of three people playing a delightful tune that Roman didn’t recognize. An original perhaps, and Roman listened closely,

Once the square was clearly visible so was the statue. It was made of bronze, and Queen Maya was standing tall. It was twice as tall as Roman. Quite a magnificent sight. Her hair was long and curly in little coils, that were very beautifully sculpted. Her eyes were powerful, and you felt somewhat humbled looking into them. A born leader. She wore light armor, and a beautiful crown, with jewels in it. Roman wasn’t sure if the crown was realistic, but it was beautiful, nonetheless.

Richard looked at her, looking slightly unimpressed, though Roman assumed it was just because the man had seen the statue many times before. Roman wondered if Richard lived in the capital, but he didn’t ask about that, because it didn’t seem relevant while they were appreciating art.

Virgil’s eyes were entirely fixed on the statue for a few breaths, his mouth gaping slightly as his eyes darted up and down. “Huh.” he said, “Bigger than I expected.”

“I felt the same way.” Roman said, nodding eagerly, “It’s quite impressive.”

“Eh.” Richard said, “I’ve seen statues before.”

“Well, most villages don’t have statues like this!” Roman said, “A statue of the Queen herself, sculpted while she was still alive! It must be around… What, five hundred years old?”

Richard seemed more distracted by some music going on and Roman felt a little disheartened at that. “Funny how they only decided to depict Maya here and not you know, the other one.”

Virgil looked at Richard as he said that, and Roman looked between both of them confusedly. Roman cleared his throat. “Violet? Well, she’s… She’s not, you know...”

“The Outskirts.” Virgil whispered suddenly, though he looked a little surprised he’d said anything at all.

Richard nodded and hummed. “Still ruled the kingdom with Maya though.” he shrugged, “Not that it matters. It’s just an old statue.” he looked almost desperate to lean against something, but there was nothing to lean against. He chuckled, “Still sort of funny though, isn’t it?”

Roman scanned Richard’s face, finding the statement a little strange and out of place. Roman had always liked legends and art, and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought of other perspectives. Hadn’t thought of villains in a different light, but that was hardly the point, was it? Maya had saved the kingdom, picking it up after the catastrophe the splitting of the Mindsphere had been, and that was special and important to remember.

Virgil looked at the statue. “She looks… Cool.” He said, in the sort of underestimating way Roman had learned meant it was sincere, but he didn’t say that much else. He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Richard and then at a shop nearby. Roman looked at the group of three bards ahead of them, fiddling with a coin in his pocket. Maybe he could go have a listen.

“Wanna go listen to the bards over there?” Roman asked, pointing in that direction.

Virgil inhaled sharply, looking around. “Yeah, I’ll. I’ll be there in a second, lemme just… Look at the statue for a little longer?”

Roman looked at Virgil. Virgil sent Roman a gentle smile, and Roman returned it. “Sure thing. Join me when you wish.”

* * *

“Don’t you worry Logan. It’s gonna be alright!” Patton said, as he looked at the wolf.

Or well, it didn’t exactly resemble a wolf anymore. Next to them, was a slightly off-looking newfoundland. Patton found it hard to look away from it, because it was absolutely adorable! Logan had suggested that choosing a fluffy dog would hide the less perfected shapes better, drawing less attention to them.

Logan facepalmed and mumbled to himself. “This is ridiculous.”

“Aww cheer up Lo! We’ll find a better alternative.” Patton placed his hand on the dog, beaming, “Feel how soft it is! I mean it’s just as soft as before but-“

“Let’s not speak too loudly about that.” Logan whispered. Let’s find a place to lay low with it, or something like that.”

Patton nodded seriously. “Oh! Of course of course.”

Patton remembered the capital quite well. He did get lost on a few street corners on the way, because he still wasn’t the best at directions, but he did remember some of the shops and the bigger sights. He’d missed parts of it, such as the big temple, his hometown hadn’t had. Some things had changed while he was gone, which was a little sad, but a natural part of life. Things changed, that was just the way things were.

After Roman and Virgil left, Patton and Logan had worked together to work on the wolf’s appearance. It had acted pretty darn confused at their attempts and didn’t seem to recognize itself at first. Its fur had slowly turned black instead of grey, and the eyes were no longer amber. It seemed surprisingly unbothered nonetheless though.

Patton had smiled at the altered wolf. “We should name it.” he said.

“I do not see the purpose of that.” Logan said.

“Well, it has been with me for so long, it feels weird just to call it ‘the wolf’.”

Logan looked at Patton, a little dumbfounded at first but then he smiled. “Perhaps it would be beneficial in the long run, though we probably won’t need to have it with us for that much longer.”

Patton placed his tongue on the side of his lips thoughtfully. “We can ask the others. I’ll see if I can think of something on the way.”

Logan and Patton were alone now. With the wolf of course. It had been a while since they’d been alone. It was just like that, when someone tied you up in the woods and you had to get a wolf to chew up the ropes to get free. The two of them started walking towards the capital, because they needed to find someone who could help protect the wolf. Of course, Logan insisted that Patton should head straight to the Healing quarters, and he was going to! He’d just walk with Logan for a little bit first. Try to see if Patton could be of assistance somehow, when it came to helping the wolf out. It felt weird, to just leave it at that.

The wolf followed obediently, and Patton had tied a little pretend leash to it, to appear less suspicious. People were still looking, however. Patton started a bit of casual conversation with Logan after a little bit, because he wasn’t entirely sure what else to say. Lots of things had been going on, and really, Patton missed talking about something a little less heavy.

“How are your mums doing?” Patton asked with a smile, “I haven’t seen them in ages!”

Logan didn’t seem like he’d expected the question, though he nodded agreeably. “They’re doing rather well, as far as I know. Lucy set up shop in the new town.”

“Oh yeah! The magic shop, right?” Patton asked, remembering the vivid colors and all the well-assorted magical objects in that place. It had a certain cosiness to it, that Patton vaguely remembered from when he was younger. “Everyone kinda missed that place after you all moved.”

Logan hummed, though Patton found it difficult to read his expression. For a moment, he wondered if he’d somehow said the wrong thing, though it was sometimes hard to tell. “Ah yes, it was quite comprehensive.” he paused, looking thoughtfully ahead, “And Henrietta managed to get a good position at the local library too. They’re doing well for themselves I believe.” he swallowed, “I haven’t talked to them in a little while. They’ve sent me a few letters though.”

Patton thought of when they were little, and how Logan used to appear worried he was setting his parents up for disappointment. It wasn’t that his mothers weren’t supportive and wonderful, in fact Patton missed their smiles and light-hearted jokes, but they always had a difficult time understanding why Logan found it hard to perform magic. Patton never pried though, but he was there to hug Logan whenever he seemed down because of something a teacher had said. Logan sometimes talked about feeling out of place, and Patton listened, because Patton cared about Logan, and everyone had always told Patton he was a good listener. “I’m glad they’re doing well! Maybe I’ll get to see them again someday.”

“Maybe you will.” Logan said with a gentle smile, “How are y- how is your dad?” Logan asked.

Patton felt something within him that stung a little, though he quickly shook it off. “He’s doing much better now.” he said, “I visited him about a month ago.”

Logan inspected Patton’s expression carefully, and Patton smiled, because that was what Patton usually did. There wasn’t any reason not to do that now. Nothing bad was happening, after all. “I’m… I’m pleased to hear that. Say hello from me, when you see him again.”

“Will do!” Patton said, “I’m sure he’d love to hear from you. He always thought you were a good influence on me.”

Logan hummed. “I would be lying if I said you weren’t a positive influence on me as well.” Logan said. That made Patton feel good inside. He always liked having a positive effect on someone’s life somehow. It was always nice, when he could make people smile, and make people laugh. It was one of the few things he knew how to do. For the most part, at least.

Oh, and healing! He was good at that. He was good at making people hurt less in general, he hoped. That was what he wanted.

Logan was keeping an even closer eye on the wolf than Patton, and Patton tried to send some apologetic looks to the people around them. People didn’t look too used to seeing dogs of this size walking around in the capital. “Ah, what’s this?” Logan said out loud to himself, walking to the window of a nearby shop. “Will you give me a moment Patton?” Patton nodded, and Logan turned a corner.

Just as he did so, Patton saw a man dressed in a dark beige robe and a pink shirt, wearing a pair of spectacles. Patton wouldn’t have taken much notice of the man, if he hadn’t stopped in front of Patton, blinking slowly as he looked at the big dog by their side. Patton smiled politely at the stranger. “Oh, hello!” Patton said, when the stranger kept looking.

“H-hello.” The man said. He smiled at the wolf excitedly, “May I pet it?” Patton was a little caught off guard by the suggestion, which caused the man to look worried. “I apologize if that’s a strange thing to ask, it just looked, well, very cute and-“

“Sure!” Patton said, nodding enthusiastically. He wasn’t sure why he felt so nervous. The wolf looked like a dog. He had nothing to worry about! Nope! “Nothing to worry about.” he mumbled.

“What did you say?” the stranger asked.

“Nothing!” Patton yelped, a little too quickly.

The stranger didn’t appear to take too much notice of Patton’s rushed tone, as he leaned down and placed his hand calmly on the side of the wolf. For a moment, Patton feared that this would be the moment the wolf decided not to be friendly towards just anyone anymore. Luckily, this wasn’t the case, as the wolf simply stared ahead. It seemed a little bored. “What’s its name?” the man asked, while petting the dog slowly. The wolf did appear to enjoy being pet.

Patton’s eyes widened. “Uh? Name. Yes uhm… It’s…” he shut his eyes tightly in deep thought, “P… _Paw_ l? It’s Pawl.” he said with a smile.

The man giggled. “Ah, what an interesting name. I quite like it. Sounds like something out of a children’s story.” he stopped in his tracks, “That’s a good thing, by the way! I mean no disrespect.”

“No no!” Patton said, grinning, “I’m glad you like it.”

“Ah, Emile! Hello again!” Logan suddenly said. Patton turned his head, to see Logan turning a corner. Patton was pleased to see Logan again. Perhaps Logan could help him out in this conversation. Did Logan know this man? Wait… That name ‘Emile’ was familiar wasn’t it?

“Logan, hi!” Emile said, “Pleasure to meet you again! I… I didn’t know you had a dog?”

Logan looked a bit embarrassed at the question and opened his mouth awkwardly as if to explain.

“Emile Picani?” Patton said quietly, like a question that wasn’t meant to be heard.

“Yes?” Emile replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh!” Patton said, as the realization settled, and he smiled at Picani wider than he had before.

Picani turned to Patton after a moment, and smiled, holding out his hand for Patton to shake it. “Emile Picani. And who are you, sir?”

“Patton Corwinson!” Patton said.

Emile nodded at first, until his eyes widened. “Oh! You! I’ve heard of you!”

He had? Well maybe that made a little sense. “I’ve heard of you too!” Patton said, beaming.

“What?” Logan said, looking confusedly between the both of them. “How do you know each other?”

“Well, we’ve never met formally, until now that is, but we do have a mutual friend.”

“A mutu-“ Logan interrupted himself, “Oh! The king perchance?”

“Yes!” Patton said, “Emile was always helpful when Thomas needed it the most. He talked about how beneficial talking to him was, in his letters quite a lot.”

Picani chuckled, “I’m pleased to hear that. He talked about you a lot as well, Patton. He wasn’t always too keen on opening up to people, but I think your friendship really helped him with that. He appreciates you a lot, you know.”

Patton felt something light up in his chest at the words. “I’m so glad!” he smiled, “I can’t wait to see him again, actually. Though I have been called here because of a different thing.”

Emile looked thoughtful before he held up a finger in a clear gesture, “Ah, the healers, yes? It is quite strange, what’s going on out there. The capital could absolutely use the extra hands.”

“Yeah, I’m going there as soon as I can! Though we did encounter some problems on the way.”

“I can imagine. What sort, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It’s quite a long story.” Logan said, and both Emile and Patton turned their heads towards him, “And somewhat… Illogical, and difficult to explain. Though if you do have the time, perhaps it could be something you could help with? At least I think it’s enough of an anomaly to provoke some questions.”

Emile narrowed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m listening.” he said quietly, looking strangely focused. At first, when Patton had seen him, Picani hadn’t seemed like the focusing sort of guy, but it somehow seemed natural for him either way.

Logan explained the situation with the wolf, though Patton noted the details he left out for Emile. Logan didn’t talk about who everyone in their group was, which was probably irrelevant, and he only explained the points in their journey broadly. He didn’t mention anything about Patton’s replacement, and while Patton understood why it wasn’t relevant, it still made him painfully aware of how it had happened. How it was out of place. Patton tried to imagine someone successfully pretending to be him. Patton had often felt as if he was easy to imitate on the surface, because Patton’s surface wasn’t too special. It wasn’t too difficult to smile like him, and maybe pretending to be him wouldn’t be that hard either.

He didn’t like it. Didn’t like how someone had managed to infiltrate his group of friends, wearing his face somehow. Logan had specified that doing that, should according to all known magic theory, be impossible. That was weird, and definitely something that should be looked into. Maybe that was also partially what made it strange that Logan didn’t mention it. Patton suspected it was simply because Logan didn’t have enough data to explain it, though wouldn’t sharing it be a good idea too?

Emile Picani listened carefully through the story. Patton explained parts of it a bit more in detail, because he’d interacted directly with the wolf for a little while. At the end, Logan explained how they’d changed the wolf’s appearance, which made Emile look a bit disoriented. He pointed to the dog, with something resembling fear in his eyes. “ _Pawl_ is the wolf?”

“That is cor-” Logan said before stopping in the middle of the sentence, “I’m sorry, _Pawl_?”

Patton smiled awkwardly. “I named it?”

“You named it _Pawl_?”

“Well, I had to think of _something_ on the spot!”

Emile chuckled with disbelief. “My, that’s not what I expected to hear.” he started petting the wolf again, “That does sound like a matter worth looking into. Perhaps we should inform some people at the academy of that. It is possible they have something to say on the matter.”

Logan tutted once, leading a hand through his own hair. “There are some things about it that I am unsure if we should present to the Academy just yet. I have more theories on this entire ordeal that I’d like to explore. If I had the data to present a reasonable hypothesis it might,” He shifted, “It might give them a reason to give me a position.”

“Ah.” Emile said, “I see your point.”

“Though of course if it’s essential research it should be presented to them right away, I simply… I have… I have an urge to look further into it myself as well.”

Just as they were speaking, Patton saw a bird flying right past his shoulders. It was strange that a bird flew by so closely. Patton rarely saw animals approaching humans in the city.

“Emile?” Logan said confusedly, and Patton turned his head. Emile suddenly looked very distant and pale, Logan reaching out to keep him steady.

“I… I apologize… something…” Emile trailed off, his eyelids threatening to close for a moment.

“Did something happen?” Patton asked, “Should I?” he looked at Logan and Emile for some sort of sign. He barely received one before he stepped forward, to get a closer look. “How are you feeling?”

Emile shook his head. “Off. Dizzy? Somewhat befuddled.”

Patton nodded. “Are you going to pass out?”

“No. I don’t think I am.” Emile answered quietly, “My… The back of my head, hurts.”

“Oh.” Patton said. He took a deep breath, looking at the other side of Emile’s head, brushing some of the other’s hair away to get a good look. He saw a wound. “Something stung you.” Patton said, squinting. He couldn’t immediately tell what it was, “I am going to try to extract the poison, to figure out what it is and find the best treatment for it.”

Emile nodded. “I feel fine.” he said, “Just a bit off.”

Patton nodded. “I’ll figure it out either way. I don’t think it’s dangerous.”

Side effects could be misleading sometimes, but Patton didn’t say that. It didn’t look dangerous for now. He placed a hand on top of the tiny sting, closing his eyes to feel the energy rush through him. It didn’t take long for him to extract most of the poison. There hadn’t been too much, apparently. He inspected it. “It looks… I don’t…”

The truth was, that Patton simply hadn’t seen this poison before. He could tell from the energy that it wasn’t deadly to whoever it was injected into, but there was something strange about it nonetheless. “It isn’t deadly or anything.” Patton repeated out loud, from his thoughts, “Though, I’m not sure what kind of poison it is.”

It was certainly possible that he’d just forgotten, but that would mean it was a rare poison. Patton saw most poisons every once in a while, as he worked, so it was new to him to meet a poison he hadn’t seen. It shared certain similarities to many poisons that were harmless to humans, so perhaps it didn’t matter too much.

Patton couldn’t help but get a bad feeling in his stomach, nonetheless.

Logan looked at the poison as well, squinting slightly. He didn’t say anything though. Patton sort of wished he would, because when Logan said something, it was usually because he knew something, and then Patton would feel less clueless. “Can we help you get to your house?” Patton asked.

Emile shook his head, “No no, I think I’m good to go back to work. If you think so, at least.” he smiled slightly, “You’re the professional in this field.”

Yes. Patton was a professional. Patton knew how to do this. Knew how to heal people. He’d done it so many times before.

So why wasn’t he sure what the answer was now? “Let’s… Let’s go to the healing quarters.”

* * *

Shit. This was not a good sign at all. Virgil watched as Roman left Virgil alone with…

Ugh, Remy.

Now, it wasn’t that Virgil minded Remy particularly. In fact, the two had gotten along quite nicely in the past. They hadn’t talked too many times, because Remy was often walking around on his own, and Virgil used to walk around on his own a lot too. That was something to talk about of course, but not something that led them to encounter each other frequently.

No, the problem with seeing Remy was rather the fact that Remy was seldom around these parts unless he had been given a reason for it. And the only person who attempted to give Remy a reason for anything these days, was Deceit.

And while Remy and Virgil had gotten along somewhat nicely in the past, Remy wasn’t generally a pleasant person. Virgil recognized some of his own attitude in him, and Virgil was pretty sure that wasn’t a good thing. Remy wasn’t the best influence you could have, because Remy insisted on not caring about anything. Virgil didn’t want that. Not anymore.

He turned his face towards Remy, who sighed tiredly at the eye contact.

“Remy why are you here?” Virgil asked harshly.

Remy flinched a little at the mention of his name, though he recovered effortlessly. “What? I can’t even walk around freely anymore?” he asked with a shrug, “Hon, you don’t even work for that guy who thinks he owns me anymore. Shut up.”

“I’m not-“ Virgil tried, giving a frustrated sigh, “I just wanna know what you’re _doing_ here. Did you really just go to the capital for no reason? No one sent you here?”

“It’s really none of your business.” Remy said, rolling his eyes, “And you’re busy with your own thing too. You know, old DeeDee is really shaken up.”

Virgil felt something dark shifting in his chest, as he scowled at Remy. “And that’s not good. Because when _DeeDee_ is shaken up he does stupid shit!” he took a deep breath trying to collect his thoughts, “ _Please_ just tell me if he has anything to do with you being here.”

“I don’t know what the fuck that bitch is up to, babe, and I frankly don’t care at this point.” he made a vague gesture with his hand, “I’m not going to interfere with this any longer, I’m going to-“

“You said _any longer_!” Virgil pointed out. He took a deep breath, “He sent you, didn’t he? What did he ask you to do? Are you going to-“

“Bitch, relax, I’m pretty sure he’s not out to do anything to you.” Remy reassured, and while it seemed nonchalant, Virgil caught a hint of Remy’s so desperately hidden care underneath. “He’s just going for the same shit as usual, don’t worry about it too much.”

“Really, you’re telling _me_ not to worry?” Virgil asked, though his breathing did slow down a little.

“Alas, it’s an art that’s hard to master, hon.” Remy said, “Takes a while.”

Virgil huffed at that. “You’re annoying.” he said, though he smiled a little as he said it, “Still giving Deceit a headache?”

Remy smirked. “ _Someone_ has to.”

Virgil clenched his fist and looked at Roman, who was still watching the performers. Virgil didn’t have too much time. “I think it’s working.” he said quietly, “Whatever the snake is doing, it’s _working_.”

“Sometimes it looks like that.” Remy said with a shrug, though there was something contemplative in his visible eye. “If he does succeed at it, it’ll be a ride.”

“I just… It’s not _safe_.” Virgil said, trying to keep his breathing calm, “What is he playing at? I can’t just stand around and watch as he ties up my friend and does who knows what to achieve this stupid goal.”

Remy was quiet for a breath. He smiled nonchalantly, “Who was that friend?” he said with a brief chuckle, “Did he ever make it out of that?”

“It’s _none of your business_!” Virgil said looking at Remy suddenly, “It’s not your problem, you don’t even know him. Go back to pretending not to care, again.”

Remy tutted. “I don’t.”

“I don’t even know if you do.” Virgil groaned, “You’re-“

Then Virgil looked up and saw Patton and Logan in the distance. They were supporting a man Virgil hadn’t seen before, and it looked like he could barely stand. Virgil’s eyes widened. “Re-“ he turned his head towards Remy, or rather, where Remy was supposed to be standing, but Remy was gone. Virgil shook his head. He ran in the direction of Logan and Patton, gesturing for Roman to follow. Roman looked confused for a moment, but quickly tossed a coin to the bards as he followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of the name Pawl? Should it stay, or do you have any better suggestions? I didn't really know what to name it, so if anyone has any opinions on what our dear wolf friend's name should be, I'm all ears. Even if that opinion is that Pawl is a great name asfdhsdghk
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Leave kudos and a comment if you feel like it. I hope you're having a nice day!
> 
> Also I got curious and made this survey askdgjslk. Who is your favorite "Adventure Awaits!" character so far? https://forms.gle/gJgNSJv1bPvEXvi4A
> 
> You can find me on tumblr if you want! I am @dramaticsnakes


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